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IT has been decided by the Government/Post Office Ltd that 2500 post offices are to be closed nationwide.

Review areas are based on Parliamentary constituencies - for us this means Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole as one review area.

Dorset is the final phase of the South West which means plan preparation in April 2008 and public consultation starting on July 15, a period of seven weeks.

Planned closures represent an 18% reduction in service provision, which is expected to be shared evenly between rural and urban areas.

Dorset County Council and Dorset Community Action are represented on the Dorset Post Office Network Review Group along with organisations such as the Rural Shops Alliance and Village Retail Shops Association and the group has provided relevant information to Post Office Ltd to assist the Review Team.

The issue was raised and debated at the Broadmayne Annual Parish Meeting, following which it was decided to form the Broadmayne Post Office Action Group whose aim is to gather information and seek meetings with key people in the decision making process in an attempt to influence the outcome.

The action group held its inaugural meeting on Tuesday, April 8 and expressed a determination to adopt a proactive rather than reactive approach to keeping the post office and village shop.

The information being gathered at this time relates primarily to the extent to which the village store and postal services are used by the community.

Together with a demographic analysis of Broadmayne/West Knighton, the social, health, economic and employment considerations, transport availability to alternative post offices in the event of closure are being considered, not to mention the impact on the community should these valued local services be lost.

In addition, the criteria adopted by the Post Office to determine closure is being analysed and it is the intention to present as strong a case as possible to retain the postal services should a decision be made to close.

You may be asking yourself How can I help?'. Community support is vital in securing the decision against closure. Please write to say why you feel the post office should remain and what it would mean to you if this vital service was lost.

You may either email julesstan1@yahoo.co.uk or write a letter to Bob Walker at the post office who will pass your letter to a group member.

E-mails and letters will be retained and presented along with other evidence to the Post Office Review Team and the Chief Executive Dorset County Council.

Another way in which you can help is to make as much use of the village store and post office as you can. Bob does provide a wide range of products at competitive prices and is willing to listen to ideas you may have in expanding the business.

The often quoted expression 'Use it or lose it' could not be more appropriate in this instance. Your support is greatly needed.

11:42pm Thursday 1st May 2008

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