Five Bognor area post offices to shut '“ it's official

Post Office Ltd revealed on Tuesday, April 8, that all the branches earmarked for closure will be axed from the network.

This means that staff in Hawthorn Road, Station Road, South Bersted in Gordon Avenue, Aldwick in Aldwick Street and Craigweil in Barrack Lane will soon be serving their final customers with stamps and parcels. The closure dates have only been given as 'from May'.

Ashvin Patel, of Aldwick Post Office, said: "It was a shock to be told we were finally closing. I thought Post Office Ltd might have changed their mind and kept one of the branches open. But they have not saved one of them."

Barbara Doe, who runs Craigweil PO with her husband Robin, said: "I am not that surprised, though we are absolutely gutted by this decision as well as for our customers.

"They have been shocked and upset by the news as well as thinking that the consultation has been a farce. Some of them are worried about what they are going to do now."

South Bersted PO customer Stephanie Bayley, of Gordon Avenue, said: "This news is so disappointing. I know people tried so hard to keep the branch open. I wrote a letter and signed the petition.

"The closure is going to make a lot of peoples' lives very difficult because they are going to have to travel further. The queues in the other post offices are going to be longer and there will also be the inconvenience of parking, if they drive."

Bognor Regis and Littlehampton MP Nick Gibb, who led the protests against the closures, condemned the final decision.

"This is clearly disappointing and devastating news for thousands of pensioners, small businesses and residents without access to transport. It demonstrates what we all knew to be true '“ that the consultation process was a complete sham," he stated.

"Very strong arguments were put by many people who responded to the consultation document. It is clear that those arguments have been ignored."

District and county councillor Francis Oppler helped to collect 1,249 signatures to save the South Bersted branch and some 800 names for Hawthorn Road.

He said: "This decision is a disgrace. Post Office Ltd is hitting the most vulnerable members of the community who need the services of those branches just to save 18,000 a year for each branch.

In all, Post Office Ltd received about 6,100 responses to its closure plans around West Sussex, Surrey and Berkshire.

Gary Herbert, the company's area network development manager, said: "These are difficult decisions which have not been taken lightly. We have considered very carefully all the comments made during the public consultation."