The Regional Network Post Office is to undertake a consultation with the community in Pevensey Bay about a move of the local post office from 4 Eastbourne Road to a new location, The 1066 Convenience Store, 12 Eastbourne Road.
The proposed move will see the services that have been very ably provided by the current local Post Office form part of the extended store that is becoming the service hub of the Bay.
The move is subject to consultation and the appointment of a new operator. It will see a change, to one of the new style open branches that have proved to be popular in other parts of the country in village and town locations.
For customers this will mean longer opening hours. The majority of products and services will still be available.
The six week local consultation exercise began yesterday (Thursday September 5) and will end on 17 October.
The proposed month of change for the location is as soon as November this year.
During this time the community will be given an opportunity to give their views on the suitability of the new location, its accessibility and any concerns that they might have.
Final plans will then be provided to the community and the outcome of the exercise will be made publicly available.
Simon Montgomery, editor, Bay Life, commented;
“The approach taken by the Post Office is in marked contrast to what happened when we lost the HSBC Bank three years ago. The Bank that looks after the needs of over 60 million customers, across 80 countries and territories, decided that the people of Pevensey Bay did not matter to their global concerns.”
“The consequence for the fragile local business base was significant. Senior citizens who relied on the service and support of the bank, were left with a sense of disruption to their lives. The fact that the Bay for some time had no cashpoint at all left us with real difficulties in relation to the small but vital visitor market to the village”.
“What the Post Office is doing in terms of its consultation with the community should be applauded.”
“The 1066 Store is proving to be a hit with residents for their daily shop and the Bay Life Diner is a popular place to eat and a meeting point for all kinds of people. The addition of a new open plan Post Office in the location is a potential win-win situation for the whole community”.
