Most residents of the locality are aware that the Premier Shop and Post Office recently went bust and there is currently no Post Office services in the area. The Woolwell OneStop/Post Office is due to close in April and the nearest is in Southway: an inaccessible distance for many of Glenholt’s Elderly population.
At a Public Meeting held a couple of weeks ago, organised by Denise Mills, over 200 people came: a completely packed Church!
We heard from local councillors, Maddie Bridgeman, Chris Mavin and Nick Kelly who was also the owner of the site, but is not the landlord. The landlord was present but unwilling to speak in public and so Nick Kelley was forced to speak on his behalf. Charlotte Holloway, the Labour PPC for Moor View was present but the sitting MP, Johnny Mercer was unavailable in Westminster (during Brexit Vote week, so we actually did understand his absence).
I had the sense that politics were very much secondary to the issues before us, and the meeting was pretty united: we want and need a local Post Office. The councillors and PPC were especially good in their support and I commend them all for this.
and grinning idiot.
There are two strands to this issue: the reestablishment of a permanent Post Office, which requires the appointment of a subpostmaster and a host of other things to come together, in a viable shop. There are traders interested in that, but this will take time, and I do not think can be sorted out this side of Easter.
The other issue is a short-term provision. I offered S. Anne’s as a venue where a portable Post Office could be brought for a couple of afternoons a week. We are committed to support this and ready to roll. This sort of thing already happens up at the Methodist Church in Wotter.
A local resident, Toni, has been very active to try and get this sorted, and her, Denise, Charlotte Holloway and indeed Johnny Mercer (with whom I had a telephone convertsation) have all been eager to encourage the Post Office to get this short-term provision running.
I have heard nothing. No calls, emails, or even a letter (they could always write me a letter). We are ready to provide this and the Post Office have not even had the courtesy to ask when they might want to come. There is a need. There is a demand (see picture above), but nothing.
That’s where we are at present. I am sorry about that. The issue isn’t from our end, because the Church of S. Anne’s wants to be at the heart of the community, serving the people of Glenholt and Glenholt Park and when the Post Office pull their finger out, we are ready and willing to host them until a permanent solution can be made.
Please encourage your local councillors and MP to continue the pressure on the Post Office. There are links to their emails below.
Please circulate the link to this post around the locality, so residents know where we are at present.
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