Cotswolds residents' post office meetings a 'sham'

Rob Latham

07 May 2008

A DECISION to close a Cotswolds post office and introduce outreach services at five others has been branded a disgrace by the Cotswolds MP.
Royal Mail announced yesterday (Tuesday) the post office in Weston-sub-Edge will be closed and counters in Blockley, Guiting Power, Longborough, Sherborne and Temple Guiting will receive reduced hour outreach services despite a series of public meetings in the district during a six-week consultation period.
And Cotswolds MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said the decision showed the Government did not care about rural communities.
"I think it's a complete disgrace and it proves the Government is not ruling for rural areas, the Cotswolds in particular. All the meetings we had during the consultation were a complete sham and I think people are right to feel very angry about it - I certainly do.
"This decision will have dire consequences for the people of the Cotswolds, with thousands of people having to travel much further to obtain basic services which a sophisticated country such as ours should be able to provide at convenient locations."
The decision to close Weston-sub-Edge announced by Royal Mail yesterday (Tuesday) means villagers must drive to either Willersey or Mickleton for their nearest post office and has sparked fears of further cuts to already diminished Cotswolds communities.
Coun Lynden Stowe, leader of Cotswold District Council, said: "It is very disappointing for local residents as they have lost what is the centre of the community and a great shame that all those people are now going to have to drive miles to their nearest post office.
"The Government is hell-bent on the destruction of services in rural areas, we need to be very active in ensuring they don't do further damage to Cotswolds communities."
Hospital services have already been cut and Mr Clifton-Brown believes future government initiatives will target doctors' surgeries.
"They are going to amalgamate doctors surgeries which will again mean people having to travel out of their villages to larger towns.
"Keep deluding villages of all these services they are going to become very sparse places, so I think it's a disgrace."
Weston-sub-Edge post office will remain open for at least another four weeks before closing and final decisions on the amount of outreach the other counters will receive will be confirmed soon.

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