PO axe could lead to more shops closing
FEARS have been voiced that if a Swansea Valley post office is closed, nearby shops could follow.
The Post Office has announced it intends to close the Lone Road branch in Clydach.
Angry councillors are fighting the proposal and say they are worried other businesses will be undermined if the closure becomes a reality.
Roger and Paulette Smith have written to voice their opposition to Post Office network development manager Steve Geraghty.
They say closure would:
Deprive residents in the Lone Road area, particularly the elderly and those dependent on travel by foot, of an easily accessible facility.
Have an adverse impact on the trade of surrounding businesses.
Significantly reduce existing levels of footfall in the parade of shops, thereby undermining the vitality, attractiveness and viability of the centre as a whole.
Push existing customers towards the use of facilities at Clydach High Street.
The councillors fear the extra traffic that would be generated in the High Street area would cause problems, particularly since there are double yellow lines outside the post office.
The councillors state: "Closure of the Lone Road office would leave a big hole in service provision and access to post office services in the area. This would adversely impact upon the large elderly population in the area."
Councillor Roger Smith said he was also concerned that residents would not have easy access to a National Lottery till.
He said: "People are saying: 'where are we going to get the Lottery from in the future'?"
A petition is being raised as an official objection to the proposed closure.
Councillors Roger and Paulette Smith added: "Should the decision be made to close Lone Road then we would welcome a commitment of investment into the High Street post office to improve existing facilities, ensure its capacity to cope with the expected increase in trade and last, but not least, to make it fully Disability Discrimination Act compliant."
Comments
by John W, Lincs
Tuesday, September 09 2008, 7:00PM
“Lets not miss the bigger picture here.
It is not the loss of the ability to get your pension or car tax etc that is a stake, these services can be provided by other, cheaper means, even if these means are not too popular with many of the older generation. What we are losing as a nation is the ability to post that parcel (Mum¿s present) or send that recorded delivery etc. The Post Office Network is, or should we say was, the front end of the Royal Mail, ie the Postal Service. The payment of pensions and benefits etc through the existing Post Office Branches was a cost effective use of government resources at the time when the payments were introduced, as was issuing car tax, TV licenses etc. This has now been superseded by modern payment and banking methods, however the government is intent on throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
Before long we will not only have to travel to the nearest town or main post office to post our mail, we will find that we will have to go there to collect it as well!”