The Post Office has confirmed to local MP Norman Baker that it wants to reopen a post office in the Cliffe part of Lewes. The announcement follows pressure from the Lewes MP and came at a meeting this morning between the MP and Paul Simmonds, Head of Area for the Post Office.
As part of the drive to secure a reopening, Post Office are in touch with one potential sub postmaster and have agreed to re-contact others who were in the frame last time a serious attempt was made to find a suitable applicant and premises. The Post Office have also agreed to cut the licence fee required from any sub postmaster from the figure in excess of £30,000 previously required to one of under £10,000. They will be advertising their intentions shortly both on the internet and locally.
Norman Baker says:
"This is very welcome news indeed. At a time when post offices are closing, it is good to see that the trend can be reversed. There is a desperate need for an outlet at the bottom of the town, both because of the accessibility difficulties of the existing Crown office, and also because that office is clearly overloaded, with long queues for service not infrequent.
"I was very disappointed when no alternative provision was put in place when the previous outlet in WHSmith closed, particularly as I managed to secure a six-month stay of execution to buy the Post Office time. Since that closure, the Post Office has theoretically remained committed to finding a replacement office but has never frankly shown much determination to achieve that. I hope that this attitude has now changed. I have made it clear to the Post Office that I expect them to deal with this speedily and wholeheartedly and have asked for an update in writing within two weeks."
* Norman Baker also asked Mr Simmonds to consider the introduction of an "express line" at the Crown office where simple transactions could be undertaken, as a way of reducing the queues at that office.
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