Cotswold News, Cotswold Sport, Cotswold Leisure - From The Cotswold & Evesham Journal

Longbourgh - Community is out in force to support post office

From the Cotswold Journal, first published Thursday 9th Nov 2006.

NEARLY 100 residents turned out in support of Longborough Post Office as part of a campaign to keep it open.

They were joined by North Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, who has pledged his support for Longborough and other rural post offices in the area under threat of closure under a Government review.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott is currently reviewing the £150m Government support for the rural post office network. The Post Office itself is no longer under any obligation to prevent any avoidable closures.

Longborough postmaster Martin Gunson, who has run the business for eight years, said rural post offices had already been hit by a threat to the card account and loss of TV licence trade.

"It seems they are taking away more and more services," said Mr Gunson. "It's very worrying for local people. Not everyone drives, and bus services are limited."

Harry Taylor, chairman of Longborough Village Shop Committee, said: "We are grateful to Mr Clifton-Brown for his support. We are getting mixed messages from the Government about communities. One the one hand they say they want to support them, but then they talk about withdrawing all these services from people."

Mr Clifton-Brown said: "The Government must recognise the vital local services that rural post offices provide. In the Cotswolds, an area with many elderly people and sparse public transport, rural post offices are the only local shop or service. They are crucial to our communities' survival.

"I am not at all surprised by the depth of feeling in the village."

Archive Home