News story

26th February 2001

Oldbury PO Update

Efforts by local MP Steve Webb to preserve Post Office services in Oldbury-on-Severn are continuing with the preparation of a letter to be sent to every household in the village asking residents to indicate how the loss of a local Post Office just before Christmas has affected them. If there is a strong response from local residents indicating that the temporary arrangements to cope with the loss of a Post Office are creating great inconvenience, this will create new impetus to the bid to find suitable premises.

Since the campaign to save the Post Office was launched, Steve Webb has been in discussion with Wick postmaster, Mike James, who has been involved in previous rescue bids. Mike James has indicated his willingness to advise and support a local resident in getting a new Post Office going, and a Thornbury resident has now applied to run an Office in Oldbury for ten hours a week, having read about the issue in the Thornbury Gazette. The MP has also received assurances from Post Office counters that they will be prepared to support a Post Office in Oldbury for as long as there is someone willing to run it.

Steve Webb said:

“With a couple of months having now elapsed since the closure of Oldbury Post Office, it is time to take stock and see how the loss of the Post Office is affecting village residents and village life. We have made real progress in terms of finding someone willing to run an office, and in getting the Post Office’s backing to keep a service going. However, we can only now move forward if it can be demonstrated that there is still a strong and clear local demand for a Post Office in the village. I would urge anyone who feels strongly about this issue to respond as soon as they receive my letter, so that we can gauge the extent of popular support”.


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