A public meeting is being held about the threatened closure of the Western Road Post Office in Hove this evening (Monday 17 August).
The meeting is taking place at the Cornerstone Community Centre in St John’s Church, Palmeira Square, Hove, from 7pm to 8pm.
It will be chaired by Peter Kyle, the Labour MP for Hove.
Three senior managers from the Post Office are expected to attend – public affairs manager Laura Tarling, crown area manager John Taylor and crown cluster manager Matt Maunder.
The meeting could become heated. Residents, many of whom are passionate about saving their local branch, will be meeting post office management for the first time since the proposal was made public.
Some have expressed anger that old people and those with mobility problems will be directed up a steep hill and off direct public transport routes to their nearest alternative post office in Melville Road by the Seven Dials.
The suggestion is regarded as insensitive and impractical.
Paul and Inge Sweetman, who run the neighbouring City Books bookshop, are among those to have campaigned against the proposed closure.
A petition on the 38 Degrees website has attracted almost 2,000 signatures.
The petition says: “Brunswick Town in Hove is a densely populated area and the post office proposed for closure is at the centre of the community, is very well used and has won many awards.
“Post Office Limited states that alternative provision will be accessible to residents but this provision is a mile away up a hill.
“We worry about elderly and infirm residents being able to access the new ‘merged’ post office in Melville Road.
“Our Post Office in Brunswick Town provides an essential public service where people need it and we wholly oppose plans to close it.”
There are other petitions. I got 100 signatures in an hour on a sidewalk. This is set to be a big case.
Ms Tarling said petitions would be ignored. Only the official Post Office document would be considered of which 136 have been submitted.
Oddly enough, neither of the two green councillors for the ward chose to attend this important meeting. Those who voted for them in the recent election take note.
It was announced that the two Councillors could not be there as they were holiday (as were the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council). This is perfectly all right. Cllr Mac Cafferty has not had a holiday in two years, what with the the continual cycle of the Planning Committee. It seems to me that those who sneer at Councillors do not realise the amount of work that goes into these positions. An outside body decides pay on the basis that it is part-time work but in fact it can be more than a full-time job. A great deal happens unseen, as with any work. A public meeting about the Post Office is but one part of the campaign. There is far more to do, and the local Councillors are very much a part of this. I wish that those who demoralisingly mouth off would actually trouble to go round businesses etc with the vital Consultation form.