The Parish Council coordinated a meeting today with representatives of Post Office Limited to discuss options for maintaining a post office service to Grampound with Creed.
The current post office is due to close in November 2013 when the Hollies Store
lease ends. The whole community is grateful to the hard work that Graham and Jenny have put into Hollies Store and post office and saddened that they have been unable to make a smooth transition to retirement.
Laura Tarling (Senior Stakeholder Manager) and Colin Pound of Post Office Limited presented the background to the 'network transformation' scheme which offers financial support to existing sub-postmasters wanting to change to a Post Office Local service. They said that the post office does not want to see closures and the current government scheme is designed to make additional options available. There would be a post office service but what shape that would take is uncertain.
Parish Councillors Dean Jenkins, Pauline Davies, Roger Paynter and Peter Wootton were present and so were representatives of the Community Shop Margie Lundie (co-chair), Mark Jones (treasurer) and Stephanie Cairns (post office liaison). Peter Wootton is the other co-chair of the Community Shop committee. The local need for postal services was expressed by all present. However, the current uncertainty of the future of a community shop - which requires more community support, planning consent, and additional finances - was also discussed.
The Community Shop committee will discuss with all their members the financial and logistical implications of a Post Office Local service and whether this is feasible. There seemed to be three possible options for the continuation of postal services in Grampound with Creed:
The current post office is due to close in November 2013 when the Hollies Store
lease ends. The whole community is grateful to the hard work that Graham and Jenny have put into Hollies Store and post office and saddened that they have been unable to make a smooth transition to retirement.Laura Tarling (Senior Stakeholder Manager) and Colin Pound of Post Office Limited presented the background to the 'network transformation' scheme which offers financial support to existing sub-postmasters wanting to change to a Post Office Local service. They said that the post office does not want to see closures and the current government scheme is designed to make additional options available. There would be a post office service but what shape that would take is uncertain.
Parish Councillors Dean Jenkins, Pauline Davies, Roger Paynter and Peter Wootton were present and so were representatives of the Community Shop Margie Lundie (co-chair), Mark Jones (treasurer) and Stephanie Cairns (post office liaison). Peter Wootton is the other co-chair of the Community Shop committee. The local need for postal services was expressed by all present. However, the current uncertainty of the future of a community shop - which requires more community support, planning consent, and additional finances - was also discussed.
The Community Shop committee will discuss with all their members the financial and logistical implications of a Post Office Local service and whether this is feasible. There seemed to be three possible options for the continuation of postal services in Grampound with Creed:
- Post Office Local within a temporary building run by the Community Shop.
- Post Office Outreach Hosted Service run by a neighbouring sub-postmaster in a convenient building - e.g. Heritage Centre etc.
- Either a Post Office Local or an Outreach Hosted Service run at the Community Shop at a later date should the shop be successful.
