What do you want to see from the Post Office in the future?

Another in our series of articles highlighting ongoing consultations which allow you to have your say in matters affecting government issues or your community. This time, we note a national government consultation on the future of the Post Office network, posing five questions which are clear and to the point. They don't just cover details related to geographical access, but also the services that you think should be offered, and the ways in which communities might play a role (in particular to support rural economies and strengthen local communities, which is of great relevance to us here in Suffolk Coastal).

There is a consultation document, outlining the history and responsibilities of Post Office Limited, and the role of post offices in the community. Did you know that there are 11,500 post offices in the UK? Or that each week, one in four of us visit at least one of them, equivalent to 17 million people using post offices each week?

This is a fact-finding consultation, that will not result in changes to the network, but which will be used in deciding how much funding the post office will need after 2018 when the existing agreement with Post Office Limited ends. You are invited to submit your response either online or by email or post, and contact details are provided on the consultation page. Please submit your response to the government by 21st December 2016.

Sources:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/post-office-network [accessed 10 December 2016]

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/566186/beis-16-36-post-office-network-consultation.pdf [accessed 10 December 2016]

https://beisgovuk.citizenspace.com/ukgi/post-office-network-consultation/ [accessed 10 December 2016]