LETTER FROM COUNTY COUNCILLOR FRANCES TAYLOR 18th November 2015
Good Evening, I hope this finds you well.
Great News! I am feeling cautiously optimistic about our Post Office. Following our positive local
campaign, a few of us met with Stuart Taylor, Head of External Affairs at Post Office Ltd. There are
two significant things; firstly Post Office has classified our Post Office as being a main post office in
the new contracts. This is important because firstly it means that we retain the same level of service
and the terms are potentially more viable for a post master. Secondly, our postmaster has agreed to
stay temporarily until negotiations with prospective new postmasters are concluded. On 5th January
2016 it is business as usual. It is not over, but I will be keeping a very close eye on how things
proceed. I think we managed to get Post Office to listen to us because we all worked together. A big
thank you to all of you who wrote, emailed, signed the petition, were in our photo
So what has changed? Post Office has interest from a new applicant, Nicola has agreed to stay so
that the applicant (there may be more over time as it will have to be re advertised) can go through
the Post Office process of developing a business plan which satisfies all the Post office Criteria. I
know that Nicola feels a great deal of loyalty to Magor and really wishes to help so we do not lose
our service even temporarily. I am sure you will want to say thanks to Nicola for giving us this
window of opportunity when you are next in the Post Office.
The Post Office decision to change the classification of Magor Post Office from a Local to a "main" is
important because the fee structure or payments people running the Post Office can get from Post
Office are potentially more for a main post office. This might mean that it is more viable for
someone to run and therefore it could generate more interest from applicants. It also might mean
that they are applying a degree of local sensitivity which they have not previously. It also means that
for us the customer, the services in a “main” are what we currently receive so no downgrading of
service.
Why has the Post Office changed their mind? I think they were pretty overwhelmed with how much
correspondence they received from local people. Stuart Taylor from Post Office said they “…were
struck by how much local people here in Magor loved and valued their Post Office”.
So it is not over yet, so don’t throw Mrs Vennells’ address away just yet. We need to keep informed
of progress and to that end I have advised Post Office that I still require a full response to my original
questions and a chronology. I have expressly asked to be kept informed of ANY changes. So it's not
done and dusted but hopefully it will be. I will be keeping a close eye and will be meeting with Post
Office in 2 weeks for an update.
A big thank you to all who took an interest, wrote, came to the meeting, who were in the photo,
signed the petition. Could you do just one more thing? Not for me you understand but for your post
office and community which you clearly value so highly; Please use the post office as often as you
can. Buy your stamps, withdraw your cash (from the counter not from the cash machine as this does
not count to footfall), buy your euros, pay your bills, pay in your cheques and much more. If you
value it, please do what you can to use it and encourage others to do likewise. It's like all our local
services. How much do you value them? Enough to use them? I know a lot of people use our post
office in fact about 1250 people a week. There are 6000 people living in Magor/ Undy and I think we
could do better.