New Post Office opens

Postman Pat joined Paul's Place founder Kath Aldom and former MP Steve Webb to officially open the new Post Office in Village Roots (the NISA store) this morning.

Steve thanked Edwina and her team for their efforts and joked that in 18 years as an MP he never opened anything that wasn't already actually open so this was a world first. Kath Aldom talked passionately about the importance of community and supporting local businesses.

It was then time for the official ribbon cutting. Pat was rather too tall for the Post Office area but gamely knelt down to pose for pictures. Then Kath cut the ribbon and it was open for business. One of the services the new post office will be offering is passports - and Dave was their first customer.

Apologies to anyone who expected the opening to be at 1pm as advertised. Unfortunately it was changed at the last minute. If you were hoping to meet Postman Pat there is another chance to see him on Saturday 19th September between 2pm and 3pm.

Don't forget - new Post Office opening on Monday

The shop fitting is all completed at Village Roots (the NISA) and the new Post Office will officially open for business at 1pm on Monday (14th September).

Edited: It will now be opening at 11am. Kath Aldom, founder of Paul's Place, will officially open it and Postman Pat will be there too.

Coalpit Heath Post Office move confirmed

Post Office Limited has sent out letters and emails to people who responded to the consultation confirming that Coalpit Heath Post Office will be relocating to the Nisa store.

The letter explains how they've responded to the feedback and says that posters will be displayed at the Nisa store to let customers know when the move will take place. You can read the letter in full here.

It's fantastic news that we won't lose this vital service for our villages. Well done to the owner for taking it on and thanks to Steve Webb for his help in negotiating the move.

Good news on Post Office

The owner of the NISA has agreed to take on the Post Office. A formal announcement is expected soon. Steve Webb has been helping with the negotiations.

Reminder - Post Office consultation

As we say thank you and goodbye to Steve and Sarah at Coalpit Heath Post Office, don't forget to respond to the consultation on moving the service to the Nisa store, Village Roots.

You can find the details on the Post Office Limited website and can reply by:

• filling in their online questionnaire linked to from that page
• picking up a form at the Post Office
• writing to "FREEPOST Your Comments"
• emailing comments@postoffice.co.uk 

The branch code is 191511. You have until 27th March to respond but if you're responding by post they advise sending at least 2 working days (ie not Saturday and Sunday) before the deadline.

Have your say on Coalpit Heath Post Office relocation

Post Office Limited has launched the six week consultation on the proposal to relocate Coalpit Heath Post Office to the Nisa store. You can find the details on their website and can reply by:

• filling in their online questionnaire linked to from that page
• picking up a form at the Post Office
• writing to "FREEPOST Your Comments"
• emailing comments@postoffice.co.uk 

The branch code is 191511. You have until 27th March to respond but if you're responding by post they advise sending at least 2 working days (ie not Saturday and Sunday) before the deadline.

The letter explains that the store would be refurbished and the planned date for the relocation is May 2015, which leaves a gap between the old one closing and the new one opening. The letter poses the following questions:

• How suitable you think the new location and premises are?
• How easy is it to get there?
• Are the new premises easy for you to get into and is the inside easily accessible?
• Do you have any concerns about the new location?
• If so, do you have any suggestions that could help us make it better for you?
• Are there any local community issues which you think could be affected by the proposed move?
• Is there anything you particularly like about the proposed change?

Your Focus Team is keen to know your views too.

Post Office - update from Steve Webb

Local MP Steve Webb says:

Re the post office, I hope I can offer some reassurance to those who are undestandably concerned.

As you will have seen, Steve and Sarah no longer want to carry on with the post office at the present premises. In the past this might have meant that the village simply lost its post office. But in the last few years we have been working to make sure that wherever possible new premises are found. In this case, Edwina at NISA has kindly indicated that she would be interested in taking on the post office. I have been working to make sure that Post Office Limited speed things up so that there is as little disruption as possible and I have taken an official of Post Office limited to visit both stores. They have told me that they will be consulting soon on the proposed new location, and when they do I hope that everyone will respond positively and encourage them to get on with approving the transition. Whilst there is a risk of an interim period between the old PO closing and the works being completed at the potential new site, I will press for this to be kept to a minimum. Obviously there would be a need for temporary cover to be put in place if that happened.

Post Office on the move?

Coalpit Heath Post Office could be moving into the Nisa store, Village Roots.

Local people were concerned to learn that Coalpit Heath Post Office is on the market and due to close on 23rd March. But the owners of the Nisa have released a public statement confirming they are negotiating with Post Office Limited to bring the Post Office into their store with extended opening hours.

The Post Office is a vital facility for Coalpit Heath and Frampton Cotterell. Your Focus Team, including Steve Webb MP, is working closely with the owner of the Nisa and we are hopeful that the move can be successfully managed so that local residents benefit from an uninterrupted service.

We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Steve and Sarah at the Post Office for the excellent and greatly improved service they have provided to local residents for many years now.

Lifeline for local Post Offices

Post offices in towns and villages across South Gloucestershire were thrown a lifeline in December by local MP and pensions minister, Steve Webb.

One of the major items of ‘over-the-counter’ business for small sub post offices is the payment of pensions and benefits, particularly to people using the special “Post Office card account”. This account is accessed using a plastic card and PIN number and was set up some years ago particularly for those for whom a traditional bank account was not suitable. However, the contract to provide these accounts was due to expire in March 2015 and there were concerns that if it was not renewed it could result in a major loss of business to the post office network. But on 16th December Steve Webb told MPs that a new seven-year deal has been agreed between the Government and Post Office Limited which will provide a long-term guarantee of business for local sub post masters.

Commenting on the announcement, Steve Webb said, “I have always fought hard to support local town and village post offices across my constituency, so it was great to be able to use my role as a minister to make sure that the Post Office Card Account is continued for at least another seven years. This means convenience for local pensioners and others who want to use the post office and a boost for local postmasters who had told me of their concerns if the service were to be ended.”

The news has been welcomed by local sub postmasters, including Sue Baines of Cromhall post office who said, “The Post Office Card Account is well used by many pensioners who come in to my post office. I am delighted to hear that it is going to be continuing, as many local people have no other place where they can access their cash easily and with privacy as in a local post office”.

In addition to the handling fee which postmasters receive for each transaction, post offices and shops also benefit from the increased ‘footfall’ as people spend some of the cash which they have withdrawn in the local shop, helping to keep them open.

Latest on Cromhall Post Office

Residents are eagerly awaiting the delivery of the new Post Office and affordable homes. It was anticipated that the work would be underway by now. However legal documentation that was anticipated would be completed by Christmas for the temporary site is still awaiting finalisation. As soon as this is complete the temporary Post Office will be on site and the construction of the new Post office will commence.

 
A planning application has been submitted for Cromhall Quarry at Rectory Lane, this is not to bring the quarry back in to use but to agree a restoration and implementation strategy. You can view the plans and comment online.

Coalpit Heath Post Office leads the way

Coalpit Heath Post Office has become one of the first in Britain to move to a new way of working which will allow local people to access post office services outside traditional opening hours. 

The scheme, called Post Office Local, is designed to help local post offices which are combined with village stores by enabling postal services to be provided from a terminal behind the shop counter. This should provide extra business for both the shop and post office and extra convenience for local residents. The majority of the usual Post Office services are available from the shop counter terminal including posting letters and parcels, paying bills, collecting a pension, benefits or cash, picking up pre-ordered travel money and paying car tax.

Coalpit Heath sub post masters Sarah and Steve Davis recently met local MP Steve Webb, and local councillors Pat & Dave Hockey and Claire Young to show them the newly upgraded shop and to discuss the benefits of the scheme. Dave Hockey took advantage of the new service to get his car tax at the post office, a service not previously available in Coalpit Heath.

Welcoming the scheme, MP Steve Webb said: “For many years we have been fighting campaigns to save local post offices, so I am delighted that we are now in an era where the Government is investing in post offices instead of closing them down.”

Sub post master Sarah Davis said, “We’ve had a fantastic response from our customers. The flexibility of the scheme means we can provide Post Office services for many more hours. We now have people coming in at 7:30 on a Sunday morning to use the Post Office!”

Councillor Dave Hockey said, “Many local residents like myself will be very pleased at the extended availability of Post Office services. It is much easier to pop down the road rather than having to travel to do things like pay car tax, which I’ve just done.”

At Coalpit Heath Post Office, the services are now available from 7:30AM to 6:00PM on Monday to Friday, 7:30AM to 17:30PM on Saturday and 7:30AM to 12:00PM on Sunday.

Tytherington Post Office and Shop

The community shop continues to run successfully with the help of many willing volunteers. The committee under the guidance of Chair, Daphne Brown, is looking to expand the building to give the staff more office and work space and to enable them to offer some takeaway food for the first time.

The Post Office staff have been working extra hard in order to help out with Cromhall during the illness of the Postmistress, Mrs Sue Baines. They have done this successfully and residents of both villages are extremely grateful for their efforts. Looking to the future, they would like to increase their hours to something nearer the 21 hours offered by Cromhall, as business is being lost due to restricted opening hours. Your local councillor, Howard Gawler, has allocated just over £3000 from his Merlin Transfer funding allocation to help out with this project.

A new village hall and shop in Cromhall and new homes in Falfield

Sandra O'Neill discusses new Post Office plans with Gill White

South Gloucestershire Council has agreed to transfer the land it owns in Townwell to Western Challenge Housing Association. This will enable them to build a one bedroom flat and 2 two bedroom houses for rent along with a replacement community shop and post office. Western Challenge has agreed to relocate the portacabin so that the shop and Post Office can remain open until it is replaced by the new, larger permanent building which will be built along with the houses and flats.

Meanwhile in Falfield, South Glos Council has agreed to transfer the Orchard Garage site to Knightstone Housing Association. This will enable them to provide 2 new 2 bed houses for rent in the village. After hearing local residents’ concerns about parking the Council is proposing to provide 5 on street parking spaces for Orchard view residents as well as access to enable them to park in their gardens.

Campaigners celebrate funding for Post Office

Tytherington residents were celebrating after last week's Area Forum where local councillors awarded a grant which will enable the post office to reopen. The £3,000grant will complement money raised on the Tytherington council tax and from central council funds to cover the annual running costs for a re-opened post office. The post office closed in Autumn 2008 when it was included on a national list of closures but following a concerted campaign led by local MP Steve Webb, Tytherington parish leaders, the village shop and local councillors, a funding package has been put in place which should enable the post office to reopen later in the Spring.


Commenting on the decision, Steve Webb said, "This is excellent news. Over a period of several months we have been meeting government ministers, post office officials and the local council to put together a funding package to rescue Tytherington post office. I am delighted that local councillors have allocated this grant to Tytherington post office and will continue to work with local residents to see this project through to completion".

Cllr Howard Gawler, whose ward includes Tytherington, said, "The village shop is at the heart of the community in Tytherington and the post office was a hugely valued service. I am grateful to my fellow councillors for awarding this grant as I know that they understand how village shops and post offices help to keep a community together".

Final financial details are now being agreed with the post office and then work will be needed to reinstate computer and other equipment at Tytherington post office before the service can finally be restored.

Other organisations in the Ladden-Frome area also won grants:

Frampton Cotterell Over 50s Computer Group - £910
South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group (Frog Lane 2009) - £900
Wickwar Playing Fields Association - £700
Friends of Ram Hill Colliery - £1000
Brockeridge Youth Club - £899

Bench by the Post Office

Visitors to the Post Office may have noticed that the bench that has been out of bounds behind the fence to the building site can now be used again.

Claire Young approached the builder after residents complained and he quickly resolved the problem. They have a pavement licence for their scaffolding, so it will be unusable while that is in place, but afterwards it will be open to all again.

Station Road Post Office closure date

The Post Office have announced that the PO counter in Station Road, Yate (Tesco Express) will close at 1pm on September 5th.

This despite the effect this will have on the large number of elderly people in the area, who may find it difficult to get to the Shopping Centre or to stand in the long queues that are a regular feature of the Post Office there.

Station Road Post Office to close

The Post Office have announced the results of their "consultation" about closing 29 Post Offices in the Greater Bristol area and, surprise, surprise, all 29 are to close. This includes the Post Office in the Tesco Express Store in Station Road, Yate. Local people will have to join the already long queues at Yate Post Office.

Steve Webb told the Gazette, "The depressing thing about the whole consultation process was that we always knew that if we got the post office to change their mind about one of the offices on their list they would simply substitute another one.

"As soon as the government decided that 2,500 offices had to go, the die was cast."

See the Evening Post for a full list of closures.

MP launches fight against PO closures

Steve Webb MP has launched a campaign against PO closures.

Residents of Nibley and the Stover Road area of Yate may be particularly concerned about plans to close the Post Office in the Tesco Express store in Station Road. Yate is a growing town and if this post office closes people will have to use the Crown post office in Yate shopping centre which already has long queues at peak times.

To find out what you can do to help, go to the Save our Post Offices website.