EAST Hampshire District Council (EHDC) has been praised this week for offering practical support to rural post offices threatened with closure. Bridget Samuels, whose husband Sam is the rural sub-post master at East Tisted Post Office, said it was nice to feel that they were getting support from the district council. "It is very encouraging that East Hampshire councillors are prepared to take some positive action and if necessary put their hands in their pockets," she said. East Tisted is one of six outlets in East Hampshire expected to fall victim to a cost-cutting exercise by Post Office Ltd which will see the axing of 62 rural branches across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and the replacement of nine others with an outreach solution. Those branches facing the axe include Wield, Passfield and Petersfield (Durford Road), with services at East Tisted, Froxfield and East Meon due to be scaled down, with a loss of income which could also result in closure. According to Mrs Samuels, if the decision on January 4, is to force East Tisted into a partnership arrangement with a larger core office, the income from Post Office Ltd would fall from £8,000 per annum to just £1,040 – which would have a significant impact on the village store which is run alongside the post office. EHDC has pledged £70,000 to help keep village stores open. And, at an extraordinary meeting in Petersfield on Monday, councillors met representatives from local post offices and parish councils to discuss how this money could best be used. It would include practical support for stores immediately threatened by closure and a long-term strategy of working together to keep them open. EHDC leader Ferris Cowper explained: "Our strong concern is the impact on the local community of these proposed closures. Local post offices and village stores are at the heart of rural life and we will do our best to keep them open." He added: "We plan to use the £70,000 to engage a professional retail management consultant to work with the six stores to identify quickly what their issues are and to help them plan for the change. If necessary, we may use some of the money to support the stores directly. "There is a sense of urgency about this because the Post Office's plans could take effect within the next couple of months." Speaking after the meeting, EHDC lead councillor for economic development Ken Moon said that having assessed the viability of the six stores, the aim would be to identify ways to generate additional income, key to which would be to attract footfall. Ideas had included the extension of council and tourism services into village stores, the provision of broadband internet access and a special district postal service, run by EHDC, which would link with PO services in the towns. Another suggestion was that local communities could take over stores as community initiatives, or that local councils could enter into a joint venture or even take over village stores. Spurred on by concerns over the withdrawal of rural bus services and the need to reduce the carbon footprint, and by the impact of post office closures on the rural economy, Mr Moon believes that the only way forward is to think outside the box. He told The Herald: "EHDC has been lobbying Post Office Ltd vigourously, but lobbying is unlikely to save those outlets under threat - it is unlikely Post Office Ltd will change its mind". And this, he said, left rural sub-post masters in a difficult situation, with little time to re-evaluate. "There will be one month's notice once the decision is made, after which they will see a large amount of income gone from their business – the challenge will be over how to fill the gap". Whilst aware of the need to use tax payers' money "carefully and efficiently", Mr Moon confirmed EHDC's intention that any investment should bring real benefit to the communities involved. "We (EHDC) believe we are the first council to take the initiative in this way, but we are really concerned about the harm that this appalling closure programme might bring. "We are determined to do all we can to keep our village stores open," stressed Mr Moon who added: "Every rural area needs its stores. Village residents and small businesses depend on local post offices. The rural economy is under threat, and we want to work with local stores to come up with tangible and long-term solutions".
