Below is a copy of a letter I sent to the National Consultation Team overseeing the closure of between 2500 and 3000 Post Office branches nationally. I encourage anybody looking for more information on the proposals and how to contact the Post Office on these matters to see their website.

Dear Sir or Madam.

I am writing to you to put forward both the concerns of my fellow residents and myself over the five proposed Post Office closures that are happening within the Yeovil constituency. These are Mudford, East Coker, Barwick and Haselbury Plucknett and Goldcroft in Yeovil.

Four of these Post Offices are located in rural areas and are very much the life blood of these communities, of these four the closest alternative Post Office is at least a mile and a half away. In many cases the alternative post offices specified would involve walking over significant stretches of road, often with no pavement making them extremely dangerous, especially in the winter months with little illumination.

The branch located upon Goldcroft in Yeovil itself is not a quiet branch by any stretch of the imagination. With between 1000-1499 customer sessions per week according to your data, not only that but a significant number of new houses and flats are being built in the area which will only make the Post Office important to a growing number of residents over the coming few years. Closure of this branch would constituent an extreme inconvenience to many of the residents in this area, wasting a considerable amount of their time and money.

I therefore ask you on behalf of the people who have contacted me, and expressed their dismay at these proposals to not close the above mentioned branches so they can continue to support and provide a focal point for the communities they're seated within.

Yours faithfully,
Paul Smith,
Labour parliamentary candidate for Yeovil.

The Consultation Team are still accepting feedback from residents in Bristol and Somerset until the 9th of April so there is still time to send them your thoughts on these closures.

Copies of the letter are available for download:

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