UPDATED 17th APRIL, 2024
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The new mobile post-office has now been operating for three weeks, staffed by sub-postmaster Praba, from Cliff Lane in Ipswich. Although the van has steps, these can in fact be extended by three metres to double as a wheelchair-lift, so it is fully accessible, but Praba is also ready to offer assistance to the less able with the steps. He is keen to offer a full service (including stationery and greetings cards) which also he supplies, on other days of the week, to places as far away as Lavenham. Although he is here for just two hours per week, it really is for us to "use it or lose it [too]", as Post Office HQ will doubtless be watching our usage statistics most carefully.
From Wednesday, 27th March
the service reduced to
TWO hours on Wednesdays, 13:45 to 15:45.
UPDATED THURSDAY, 14th MARCH AT 11:00am
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Villagers and politicians have united against changes to Post Office provision in Suffolk,
which will see one community [Kelsale] without any post-office service at all.
You can read more here. ©EADT
Yesterday's poster reporting "some minor changes to the opening hours" — 8½ to two!
For fuller (legible) details see the Post Office's undated letter below.
Also, in their words, "We'll be accepting your comments until 5 April 2024 —
Want to tell us what you think?". If so, follow the COMPLAINTS link, also below.
UPDATED WEDNESDAY, 13th MARCH
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An undated "Area Review Customer Letter"
was released on/about 8th March by The Post Office.
Inaccuracies in the data suggest that this is a desk exercise by the Post Office,
without the benefit of a visit to those affected — and apparently decided in London.
Briefly, our service of three visits a week, totalling 8½ hours (not two and 5½)
and supplied locally from Saxmundham, is being reduced to
TWO hours each Wednesday afternoon, operating out of Ipswich.
This is despite the reported willingness of Sax PO to continue the service.
COMPLAINTS can be made by 5th April (so post-implementation) to Post Office by visiting
https://www.postofficeviews.co.uk/national-consultation-team/saxmundham-outreach-ip17-1df-053130/consultation/intro/
You can click here to read and/or download
the Post Office's official "Area Review Customer Letter".
UPDATED ON 6th MARCH, 2024
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"As to the Post Office plans to downgrade very significantly the outreach service at the Village Hall, I have written to object to the proposals and to make it clear that the present service is highly valued by local people. Caroline has written in similar terms from the Village Hall Trustees. I have also spoken to people in the other villages affected about working together to change the decision." — Paul Richards, 5/3/24
Colleagues in Kelsale have also been most active in opposition to any closure of their Post Office as, under the proposals presented with no local consultation, Kelsale will lose their service completely, expected to travel into Saxmundham instead. We and other local villages, on the other hand, are promised SOME residual service, albeit maybe only a short visit from a mobile post-office once a week — details are vague and incomplete just now.
Attached is an exchange of emails with Kelsale over the last few days, with letters they've written and received, and press cuttings, all of which may prompt some ideas for action within Snape to forestall changes to our post-office services.
POSTED ON 13th FEBRUARY
From: Therese Coffey MP <therese.coffey.mp@parliament.uk>
Date: 13/02/24, 15:20
I have asked for an urgent meeting with the Post Office Minister (Kevin Hollinrake) and Post Office Executives, following the news that Post Office Ltd has decided to unilaterally close the Kelsale outreach service and make changes to the wider network — including transferring the Snape, Yoxford, Wangford and Walberswick outreach services to a mobile van operating from Ipswich, rather than Saxmundham. The changes coincide with the retirement of the Saxmundham Subpostmaster, but his successor has already committed to continuing the outreach services. I am concerned about this, including the proposed reduction in service. I will also investigate why they will not allow another willing sub-postmaster to take on the work. Whilst a mobile van is better than nothing, I want to push back on these proposals and challenge the Post Office to think again.
[from Thérèse Coffey's Newsletter]