Delyn Senedd Member calls for community input on Post Office services

A Welsh Parliament member is encouraging Flintshire residents to complete a survey to map out the need for Post Office services across the county. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Back in February Delyn MS Hannah Blythyn met with representatives of the Post Office who have been working to expand the level of mobile services operating across communities in the Flintshire area. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Whilst more mobile services are becoming available, a number of static Post Offices have closed in recent years, with the service at Greenfield now closing until a replacement Post Master or Mistress can be found. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

In order to campaign for better services for communities, Ms Blythyn is carrying out a survey focusing on how often constituents use Post Office services and the time and distance currently needed to travel to access these services. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Ms Blythyn said: “Whilst I am grateful for the mobile services currently being run from Flint Post Office, there is clearly a need for permanent, static services across our communities. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

In order to work best with communities and the Post Office to try and introduce services to meet the needs of constituents, it is important to have the evidence to back up the campaign. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

So please do fill in the survey, either for yourself or on behalf of a loved one or neighbour who may not be digitally literate.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Information collected from the survey will then be used in discussions with the Post Office and local communities, about what options are available to ensure that services are locally accessible. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Commenting on potential ways forward, Ms Blythyn added:“The way we live, work and travel, have all changed in recent years and so has the way we access different services, however there is still a clear need for physical services – for those who prefer to access them in this way, or where technology simply hasn’t advanced enough. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Though it may not be practical to have standalone Post Offices in every community, we need to explore what options are available to widen the offer, including the possibility of co-locating services with other retail offers.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The survey can be found on Ms Blythyn’s website at www.hannahblythyn.cymru/post-office-services-survey  ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

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