Charlbury Post Office - Today's Announcement

Thu 17 May 2007, 23:47

With today's announcement that the government is intending to close 2500 post offices, is it time for us to consider pro-actively what we might do in the event of Charlbury Post Office coming under the axe? Personally I think that it is essential that we keep our post office in Charlbury, and today's announcement is yet another example of the government not considering the full "equation" of their proposal: What about the extra cost to the environment of people having to drive to Witney or Chipping Norton to get to a post office? What about peoples' increased transport costs? What about the cost of the extra travel time involved?
We all know that the last thing that the government considers is how people will be inconvenienced: witness all of the services that the post office used to provide that have been taken away from them in recent years, such as buying your TV Licence.
I think that it would be interesting to have a discussion on here assuming "worst case", i.e. that Charlbury Post Office will be marked for closure, and see if we can come up with any suggestions as to what we as a town might do to prevent that happening. Maybe Cameron should be contacted, although frankly I think that this matter transcends politics, and I am sceptical about the ability of ANY political party in this country to look after the interests of the "man in the street".
And I will finish by saying what a great - and essential - service I think that our post office provides. Thank you, and long may it continue!