Rural Shops & Post Offices
Overview of support to village shops March 2009
Overview of support to village shops March 2009 click [Here]
If you wish to see the Post Office Ltd Devon Network Change Programme Click Here. To see the Branch Access Reports used in total branch closures Click Here . To see the Branch Access Reports used in branch closures and replacement with Outreach services Click Here .
MAKING REPRESENTATIONS AGAINST CLOSURES
If you wish to make representations on a PO closure, see the relevant contact information below. It may be useful to contact John Baverstock of Postwatch, in the first instance, for advice (see contact details below). Postwatch is the consumer watchdog for the postal services. If you wish a representative of Postwatch to attend an action and protest meeting, it is best to make the approach via your District or County Councillor or MP.
National Consultation Team
Post Office Ltd
FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM (no stamp is required)
Telephone: 08457 22 33 44
Or via their webpage: www.postoffice.co.uk/networkchange .
You can contact national Postwatch or Devon Postwatch Panel
08456 013265 or 028 9027 934 John Baverstock (Chair)
email: info@postwatch.co.uk 01548 580041
Website: www.postwatch.co.uk Email: Bavers1@btinternet.com
For ideas about campaigning against the closure of your Post Office [ Click Here ]
As a Rural Community Council we recognise the importance of village shops and post offices in a rural community and the vital role they play, providing invaluable services to members of the community who would otherwise have to travel a great distance to access similar facilities,in particular, those people who find travelling difficult.
Rural Shops Alliance
CCD is an associate member of the Rural Shops Alliance. The RSA is the only national trade association that operates exclusively for and on behalf of the owners of independent village shops and now represents over 7,200 village shops across England.
The RSA’s aim is to support and inform owners of village shops and to encourage rural retailers to become more proactive and professional in operating their businesses. If a village shop can optimise its business potential then this significantly improves the chances of long-term viability, for the benefit of the whole community.
The RSA lobbies on a range of issues, largely to combat the ever-increasing burden of red tape upon village shops.The RSA does more than simply talk about issues. It is able to provide real solutions ‘out in the field’ to owners of village shops. Through this organisation 361 rural retailers in Devon receive:
- 'Village Retailer' - a quarterly publication.
- Workshops (retailers, manufacturers & suppliers).
- Training courses, followed by onsite visits by specialist retail advisers.
- Village Shops web page.
- Free retail advice from RSA (incl. Help-line).
- Exclusive RSA deals and promotions.
- Networking opportunities.
To read the RSA Update newsletter for April 2008 [ Click Here ]. To see the latest RSA News Release [ Click Here ]
Post Office Closures
To see the latest RSA update on Post Office closures [ Click Here }
For detailed information on the services available from the Rural Shops Alliance, visit their website at:[ www.rural-shops-alliance.co.uk ]
For information for setting up an 'Alernative Post Office' in the face of Post Office Closure see: http://www.norfolkrcc.org.uk/wiki/index.php/Alternative_Post_Office
Promoting Local Food
CCD recognises the value of other organisations such as Devon Food Links who are committed to supporting the local food sector. To find sources of local food, near to you, visit the Devon Food Links website at: [ www.devonfoodlinks.org.uk ]
Visit Natural England's Eat The View website. Sustainable land management systems can provide quality products whilst maintaining environmental quality and the diversity of the countryside. Products processed and marketed locally can provide improved income and employment opportunities, help to strengthen the links between land managers and the local community, and reduce the unnecessary transportation of food and other goods. Consumers can help to secure and enhance the countryside by choosing these products. The more that are bought, the stronger the market becomes and the more economically viable sustainable land management systems become. For news, events & stories from local producers visit [ Eat the View ].
The promotion of local food and community-owned shops seem to have a natural affinity. To see CCD's Ten Point Action Plan to Sell More Local Food [ Click here ]
Community-owned Shops
Many rural communities are finding that the only sure way to secure their Post Office and/or village shop, for the long term, is to form a community-owned enterprise to take over their ownship and operation. For information specifically about community-owned shops, see the ViRSA website at http://www.virsa.org/.
In addition Oxfordshire Rural Community Council has produced a toolkit specifically for Community Shops and Post Offices. To view, click on: How2 Create a Community Shop and Post Office (ORCC)
Post Offices
Postwatch
CCD is represented on the Devon panel of Postwatch, the consumer watchdog for Royal Mail and Post Office Counters. Postwatch takes up consumer concerns with Royal Mail about all aspects of the postal service but, particularly, the quality, regularity and timing of postal collections and deliveries and post office closures.
Closure of Postwatch Update (Oct 2007)
Postwatch is to be discontinued. Its role, and that of several other consumer watchdogs, is being taken over by the newly-formed National Consumer Council (NCC). It is unfortunate that a watchdog with such local reach as Postwatch is being lost. Only time will tell if the NCC will be as effective both nationally and at the local level.
Originally the closure of Postwatch was to take place in February 2007. It now looks as though Postwatch will continue to October 2007 because of issues connected with the Post Office closure programme.
ACRE Position Paper on Post Office Closures
To read ACRE's position paper on post office closures [ Click Here ]
To read the Rural Shops Alliance update on PO closures [ Click Here ]
For more information on any of the above topics, please contact: Dawn Eckhart, Social Enterprise Worker Tel: 01392 383681 or e-mail: dawn@devonrcc.org.uk .
