John Penrose

Conservative Party | Weston-super-Mare

Weston-super-Mare MP urges North Somerset Council to look into Post Office Buy Out

Local MP John Penrose has written to Cllr. Nigel Ashton, Leader of North Somerset Council, urging him to look into Essex County Council’s discussions with Post Office Ltd. about buying out the Post Offices which have been earmarked for closure in their area.

The move comes as part of Mr Penrose’s campaign to save Weston-super-Mare’s Post Offices from the chop. Six local Post Offices are facing closure: Church Road, Kewstoke, Loxton, Ebdon Road, Severn Road and Uphill have all been notified that they have been proposed for closure in the Area Plan Proposal for Bristol and Somerset.

Essex County Council are currently facing the closure of 15 branches but claim to have developed an economically viable and sustainable model of adding council services to the postal services currently provided by the branches which will save them from closure within two months.

John Penrose said: “The closure of our post offices will be a hammer blow to community life. If they're allowed to go ahead, it will have a massive impact on local businesses, on village and community life and leave many vulnerable people such as pensioners without the services that they need to continue with day to day essentials like shopping and independent living.

“It's possible that Essex Council have found a solution. They claim they've got an economically viable and sustainable model, but we'd need to be certain it would work for Weston before trying it here. There’s no point in taking over local Post Office branches if it simply adds another burden to Weston’s hard pressed Council Tax payers. Nonetheless, I’m convinced it’s worth a closer look, even if the answer ultimately turns out to be ‘no’.”