New post office proposed

9:00am Saturday 3rd November 2007

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CAMPAIGNERS are hoping to set up a new post office if a closure plan goes ahead.

Old Basing and Lychpit Parish Council is leading efforts to re-establish the village's post office in new premises.

The current post office, in Belle Vue Road, has been up for sale for almost two years, and parish council chairman Councillor Sven Godesen said: "I have regrettably formed the impression that the owners don't want to keep the branch running."

The branch is owned and run by the Groves family, inside their AE Groves Ltd shop. Since it was earmarked for closure by Post Office bosses on October 16, along with four other Basingstoke branches, Rex Groves, who runs the business, and Sal Poole, who manages the post office, have not wished to comment.

Not giving up hope, the parish council has started a campaign to save its local post office by collecting signatures and making placards.

Cllr Godesen said: "The plan, now, is to try to access the actual financial figures for this post office and, provided there is a modest profit, set up a small group of parish councillors and try to get a proper plan going."

Kings Furlong post office, in Winchester Road, Basingstoke, has also been threatened with closure, and almost 1,000 customers have signed a petition to keep the family-run branch open.

Mark Buttress, who manages the branch, said 400 letters objecting to the closure have been collected.

All the letters will be sent in bulk by the branch on Wednesday, November 21, five days before the six-week public consultation ends, on November 26.

Anyone wishing to express their opinion on the closure plans can write to Tim Nickoll, network development manager, c/o national consultation team, Freepost Consultation Team or e-mail consultation@postoffice.co.uk