Village could buck the post officetrend (From Cotswold Journal)

Village could buck the post officetrend

12:34pm Thursday 29th January 2009 in News

LONGBOROUGH may be about to buck the trend that has seen village post offices closing throughout the Cotswolds.

Longborough Post Office was among many Royal Mail closed last autumn, on the grounds they were financially unviable.

The post office, which was in Longborough Village Shop until closing three months ago, could now return to the store in a reduced form.

Harry Taylor, Longborough and Sezincote Village Shop Association chairman, is “optimistic” the outreach service Royal Mail operates at Longborough Village Hall will move to the store – outreach involves a mobile post office visiting at set times.

The association obtained the shop’s lease in October.

This not-for-profit organisation, formed and run by the community, has already raised more than £20,000 through selling shares and receiving donations.

This has enabled it to apply to the Village Shops Retail Services Association for £20,000 of match funding.

It has also applied to Gloucestershire Rural Community Council for £3,000.

All this money will fund an expansion that which will more than double the shop’s size from 36 to 81 square metres through the creation of a tea and coffee shop.

Mr Taylor said Royal Mail were “keen” to return to the shop.

He said: “Once we’ve achieved our expansion, we’re going to enter into negotiations as to whether we’re going to let them back into our shop. Some of the villagers are not totally convinced because of the available space.

“If we’re trying to open a tea and coffee shop, we don’t want the post office to be too intrusive.

“My own view is that it can be done.”

A Post Office spokesman said: “Post Office Ltd has not received any formal application to operate the current out reach service from another location. Our focus is to maintain the long-term future of post office provision in Longborough and we would listen to any approach that would enhance the service.”

Snapshot of the future: Sandra Payne, shop manager, is pictured (left) with volunteer Margaret Commins holding a picture of how the expanded shop would look. 05jan09067a. Picture by Linda Butler.