Post Office – A Memory?

I wrote to the Post Office Chief Executive on 18th August to express concern on behalf of our retail business about the lack of post office facilities in Audlem since April, saying that there is considerable cost and inconvenience in travelling regularly to the nearest Post Office, especially as our mail order activities are increasing. I received an immediate acknowledgement, but no reply, so wrote again on 23 September.

A response finally arrived today, exactly seven weeks after I first wrote:

Thank you for your further email of 23 September concerning the temporary closure of Audlem Post Office®. I sincerely apologise for the length of time taken to come back to you, I assure you this is not a reflection of the importance of your issue to us. I am really sorry for the inconvenience this interruption in the provision of Post Office services has caused which were for reasons beyond our control.

Usually when this happens we are able to quickly seek appointments for a replacement service in the area but, unfortunately in this instance, the contractual position meant this was not possible.

The issues have now been overcome and we are currently advertising the opportunity for a suitable Operator, with suitable premises, to take on the Post Office. Our local Field team will continue to visit the area to talk to local retailers to see if they would be interested. In the meantime we are working hard to see if there might be an opportunity for some temporary arrangements for the provision of Post Office services; this can be difficult but, is sometimes possible in some instances.

Once again, my apologies for the inconvenience this temporary closure is causing, I hope the above information is helpful in understanding our position on this matter.

Yours sincerely
Donna Alder
Office of the Chief ExecutivePost Office Ltd

Personally, I am not interested in the contractual premises problems that Post Office Ltd. are trying to hide behind. This looks like a red herring, as it would not have prevented some sort of service being provided somewhere in the village, even if on a temporary or even "pop-up" basis until something more permanent could be arranged. There was no need for the service to be full time – a few hours, perhaps twice a week, possibly in the Public Hall, Scout and Guide Hall, or even a pub, would have been satisfactory.

I suspect that we will hear little more, and the Post Office will soon become a memory, such as other services (e.g. petrol stations and banks) that existed in Audlem till not that long ago.

Peter Silvester
Audlem Mill

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