Declares that Bangor-on-Dee Post Office is a central part of the community and that the services it offers are invaluable; and further that it’s closure will mean the loss of vital Post Office and banking services which will have a catastrophic effect on the rural community currently served by Bangor-on-Dee Post Office.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to make provisions to ensure that Bangor-On-Dee Post Office remains open and available for use by the community.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Susan Elan Jones , Official Report, 13 September 2017; Vol. 628, c. 947.]
[P002056]
Observations from theParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Margot James):
The Government recognise the value of Post Office services to local communities across the country and appreciate the difficulty and frustration that any temporary loss in Post Office services can cause to the local community. The network is at its most stable in decades due to the significant investment that has been made to maintain and protect it. This investment has delivered the refreshed customer environments, increased opening hours and efficiency of operation which is needed to succeed in the competitive and changing markets in which the Post Office operates.
The Post Office is a commercial business operating in competitive markets, and we allow it the freedom to operate commercially on a day-to-day basis. This includes the provision and location of individual post office branches, which is the operational responsibility of the business.
Unplanned closures can occur because of a situation beyond the control of the Post Office and Government understand that following the resignation of the postmaster and the withdrawal of the premises for Post Office use, Bangor Isycoed Post Office temporarily closed on Wednesday 27 September 2017.
The Post Office knows how important Post Office services are to the community and apologises to customers for any inconvenience caused. The company is currently investigating options available which will enable it to restore services to the local community, and in situations where there has been a temporary closure, it works hard to restores services as soon as possible. This can take some time depending on the individual circumstances and any future service will need to be sustainable for the person operating the service and for Post Office. Any customers wishing to access Post Office services in the interim may do so from a convenient Post Office branch, including Pentre Maelor Post Office.