The petition of residents of the constituency of Coventry South
Declares that local Post Offices provide a vital service for the community, further declares that it is particularly important that they are nearby and easily accessible for older people and people with mobility difficulties, notes that the closure of Daventry Road Post Office in Cheylesmore, Coventry, resulted in the loss of this service in the area.
The petitioners therefore urge the House of Commons to support better provision of Post Offices in the community, and specifically for the Post Office on Daventry Road to serve the community of Quinton Park, Cheylesmore, Coventry.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Zarah Sultana, Official Report, 18 April 2023; Vol. 731, c. 216.]
[P002828]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kevin Hollinrake):
While publicly owned, Post Office operates at arm’s length from Government as a commercial business with its own board. The management of the branch network is an operational responsibility for Post Office Limited. It would therefore not be appropriate for Government to intervene directly in this situation.
However, the Government recognise how important post offices are to their communities, and thus fully appreciate the impact a Post Office branch closure can have on a community. The Government-set access criteria ensure that however the network changes, services remain within local reach of all citizens. The access criteria ensure that 90% of the population are within 1 mile of their nearest post office branch and that 99% of the population are within 3 miles of their nearest post office branch.
The nearest branch from the recently closed Daventry Road post office is the Styvechale post office, at 82 Baginton Road, Coventry CV3 6FQ, which is located just over a mile away from Daventry Road. The Government understand that Post Office Limited has received an application for a new post office located in Daventry Road. This application is currently being progressed.