Council’s stamp of disapproval on Post Office move
7:00pm Wednesday 6th February 2008
Comments (5)
BOURNEMOUTH councillors have raised questions over the consultation carried out by the Post Office before they decided to relocate the town centre branch.
The council submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Post Office, asking questions about the selection of WHSmith as a preferred partner, access arrangements for WHSmith to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act and which disabled organisations were consulted.
But the Post Office has claimed the information requested is "commercially sensitive" and is therefore exempt from disclosure.
Cllr Nick King, cabinet portfolio holder for communications, said he did not accept this.
"For the Post Office to be hiding behind commercial confidentiality to justify them not explaining why they did not carry out a proper consultation process is completely unacceptable," he said.
"People's views in Bournemouth have clearly been ignored and we want answers as to why the Post Office went ahead with their decision to move."
The council has appealed and asked for the Post Office to carry out an internal review to examine how the Freedom of Information request was handled.
Councillors are unhappy with the decision to relocate the Bournemouth post office because they fear the move will cause access problems for disabled people and parents with pushchairs.
A spokesperson for the Post Office said it would not be appropriate to comment on Bournemouth council's appeal.
But he said: "At a time when the Crown Post Office network is losing £70m a year, partnerships such as these enable us to continue offering post office services in the heart of Bournemouth.
"Without them, we simply cannot safeguard high street branches or the services they provide.
"In partnership with us, WHSmith will continue to provide the high standard of service and range of products currently available at Bournemouth Post Office branch. The new branch will be carefully integrated into their nearby store and will be fully DDA compliant."
Your Say YourThisisdorset
tangogran, Winton says...
9:35am Thu 7 Feb 08
Phil, Poole says...
11:36am Thu 7 Feb 08
AndyC, Bournemouth says...
12:42pm Thu 7 Feb 08
When I last went there some months ago, it was suring my lunch break - obviously for me and many others this is the only time I could go. At one point during the 25 minute queue there was only one desk servine - but there was never more than two.
When I asked a passing official whether it would be possible to open another desk, she rudely said they were working - toally ignoring the question I asked. Since then I have done all my business in smaller branches (that have no fewer desks open).
Mark, Bournemouth says...
1:14pm Thu 7 Feb 08
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Vernon Crepe, Littlehampton says...
7:28am Thu 7 Feb 08
I expect the Post Office will be sold for big money and shortly become either a strip club or binge drinking bar so the building better suits the towns global image.
Alternatively it could perhaps be used by the police as a huge holding cell for ferel youths.