More than 50 people attended the Parish Council meeting on 27th November 2007, together with officers from Chichester District Council's Business Development Team, to discuss the response to Post Office Counters Ltd's proposal to make Plaistow Post Office a Hosted Service opening just two mornings a week

The Post Office has published the list of those Post Offices in Sussex, in the Horsham Parliamentary Constituency that will close. The proposal is that 49 Post Offices will close, all of which are in the large towns in the County. For all of these Post Offices, an individual ‘Access Report’ is available on the Post Office web site.

Again, as Members are aware, whilst Plaistow Post Office is not included in the 'List of 49' it will, however, become an 'Outreach' service, with greatly reduced hours of opening.

Post Office Service Proposal

The Post Office web site says – "The Post Office is proposing to close Plaistow Post Office on a permanent basis and to mitigate the impact of the proposed closure a Hosted Service will be put in place. This would be operated from the existing location, offering the same range of services and facilities, at the following times:

Mondays 9am-12.30pm
Thursdays 9am-1230pm

A total of 7 hours per week

Alternative services outside of these hours can be obtained from Post Offices at Loxwood, Chiddingfold and Wisborough Green"

The official definition of a 'Hosted Service' is "a fixed site Post Office branch from which the subpostmaster or his assistants will transact core Post Office products and services during restricted hours each week. The premises are owned by a third party, for example, a shop or community centre"

The Post Office web site gives exactly the same wording in respect of the only other rural Post Office affected at Barns Green. Here, however, the opening hours are longer

Mondays 1.30pm - 4pm
Tuesdays 9am - 3pm
Thursdays 1.30pm - 4pm

The alternatives offered to this village are Billingshurst, Southwater and Broadbridge Heath.

There are no 'Access Reports' on the Post Office web site for either Plaistow or Barns Green.

Parish Council Action

The Clerk has contacted the Economic Development Team at Chichester District Council who has expressed concern not only for the reduction in the service but also for the undoubted adverse effect that the reduced hours will have on Plaistow Stores.

The District Council has said that they urgently need feedback from the community and are asking members of the public to contact them in writing or by e-mail, so that CDC can formulate its own response to the proposals.

It is hoped that a member of the CDC Team will be present at the meeting.

The Clerk has also contacted Itchingfield Parish Council with a view to exchanging ideas.

Members are reminded of the advice given by SALC on the criteria for objections

1. The distance to remaining Post Offices in the area
2. Local factors, such as the age of the population or other demographic issues
3. The inadequacy of transport links
4. Any effect on the local economy

There now follows a six-week public Consultation Period, which ends on Christmas Eve