The most comprehensive report to be carried out in the UK on the impact of Post Office closures has been published today by the University of Chichester and West Sussex County Council.
This 14-month study was conducted with over 400 residents and 200 businesses in West Sussex and is the first report of its kind to look at the impact on both urban communities and rural areas.
The research was been carried out by Dr David Cooper, a principal lecturer and Dr Jo Horwood, a researcher, at the University of Chichester and commissioned by the West Sussex County Council.
Dr David Cooper said: “People have used the Post Office (PO) in the past because of its convenience and range of services, but if you take that away people will stop using it and there is real evidence that this is happening. If the PO does not improve its customer service and recognise their needs, then I think there is a real chance that it could go the same way as Woolworths.
“Whilst the PO is still a trusted brand, further service degradation is likely to provide an irrevocable tipping point beyond gradual decline. Correcting this requires concerted and urgent action from the company to address customer issues at all levels within the organisation. It will require effort to clearly distinguish the services and the brand of the Post Office from that of the Royal Mail.”
Leader of West Sussex County Council Henry Smith said: “This research reinforces the fact that older people in particular make extensive use of postal services and would value the return of services to their communities. We will now look at the report in detail and its findings and see how we are best placed to respond to residents and businesses obvious concerns.
“During the Post Office consultation process we raised major concerns over the impact closures of branches would have on the community, and sure enough those concerns have been realised with people having lost key local services and as a result having to travel more and facing longer queues.”
The main findings from the report highlight that:
- Urban communities are more affected than rural counterparts
- Deep dissatisfaction with availability of post office services
- Long queues and inconvenience
- Loss of independence
- Loss of social hub
- Economic cost to small businesses
- Environmental impact
The report looked at the impact of the closure of six specific areas within West Sussex, which lost 36 Post Offices in 2008. 655 businesses and residents in total completed the survey which was available online and in hard copies. The survey concentrated on Bognor Regis, Worthing, Horsham, Washington, Graffham and Haywards Heath.
For further information visit http://www.westsussex.gov.uk
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