Somerset MP calls for the Post Office to return to Wellington
Gideon Amos MP has put down a motion to provide more accessible Post Office services
Last updated 11th Sep 2024
Somerset MP Gideon Amos has put down a motion to provide more accessible Post Office services.
In Parliament, the Liberal Democrat referenced Wellington, which hasn’t had a Post Office in five years.
“This House is concerned about the lack of any Post Office in Wellington, Somerset, with a population of 16,000 people many of whom lack access to a car and who rely on the town centre to meet their needs; it urges the Government to expand its Cash Access UK Banking Hubs to also provide Post Office services”
The town has been without a Post Office since 2019 when the One Stop convenience store in High Street, which housed it, closed.
Since then, the nearest facility has been at Rockwell Green.
“The threat to Post Offices is something that is a concern shared across the House,” he said.
“Imagine the delight of the people of Wellington when they heard that a hub was being opened by an organisation called the Post Office with a Post Office logo on the outside - only to find later on it won't be providing any Post Office services.
“Would the Leader of the House agree this sounds like something out of ‘Yes Minister’?
“And will she grant time for a debate on the rollout of banking hubs and the provision of postal services alongside them in towns that don't have any Post Office?”
Leader of the House, Lucy Powell MP, replied: “I think the provision of local Post Office services is a matter of wide interest across this House.
“I'm sure if he (Gideon Amos) and other colleagues put in for a debate, they would get a great deal of support for that because, let's be honest, we've seen, in the Post Office, an organisation that has left serious questions about how it's been running its governance.
“And what we don't want to see as a result is our vital Post Office services disappearing from our high streets and town centres.”
A Post Office spokesperson said: “When the post office in Wellington closed in 2019, we searched for an operator to run a replacement branch, with colleagues from Post Office visiting Wellington to canvass local businesses to assess if any would be interested in applying. Unfortunately, we haven’t received any applications, but we would still welcome an application for a post office in Wellington.
“The nearest alternative Post Office is 1.1 miles away in Rockwell Green, and the branch provides a full range of services for customers.
“There is also a Banking Hub in Wellington that provides some post office services - personal and business banking, and bill payment services. Banking Hubs are a joint initiative between Post Office and Cash Access UK, to provide a dedicated counter for cash services alongside an opportunity for bank customers to speak to their local Community Banker for help with more complicated banking transactions and advice.”