Post office closures

Something else that's been taking up some of my time recently. I've been a little surprised by the (admittedly unscientific) poll on my website on this topic, which shows only 13-14% totally opposed to any post office closures and quite a large percentage - about a third - saying that all non-commercially viable post offices should close. The majority, however - just over half - think that in some cases post offices should be saved, where they serve a genuine community need, even if they're not commercially viable.

The one in my constituency which causes me most concern is the post office in Broomhill, although I am consulting with residents in other areas affected by closures too. It's a long way from Broomhill to Sandy Park Road or Birchwood Road, the two alternatives suggested by the Post Office, and there are some steep hills on the way. Bus services aren't brilliant either. If we can't keep the existing Broomhill post office open I'm wondering if we can persuade the Co-op to set up a post office service within its store on Broomhill Road. This would seem to make commercial sense, as there would be few of the overheads of running a separate operation, and it could increase business in the store too. I'm going to ask the Co-op if this is something they'd be willing to consider.