Local Public Consultation on the Possible Closure of Holcombe Branch, Hollandia, Holcombe Road , Dawlsih , EX7 0LH  

I am writing in support of the above branch which is on your provisional list for closure in Devon .  I hope that the some of the issues set out below, which have not yet been taken into account, will cause the Post Office to rethink its plans and retain the Holcombe branch.  

I understand that there are four factors that the Post Office has considered when coming up with the provisional list for branch closure.  Taking these in turn:

(i) number of transactions – the branch is only open in the mornings, five days a week.  It is therefore not surprising that the turnover is less than some of the surrounding branches which have longer opening hours.  In addition, the population of Holcombe is less than one thousand residents and therefore the branch is comparatively well used in relation to its catchment area.  The village is also growing, with one major development in the pipeline, and several new houses have been built in the last few years.  The number of PO transactions should therefore grow in future years.

(ii) distance to nearest branch – the nearest alternative branches are around 1.7miles away.  These branches are not within walking distance for most people and the terrain to reach them is extremely hilly, using narrow country lanes with no pavements in places.  This means that most people will have to use a car if they want to use a PO increasing both pollution and traffic congestion, as well as incurring increased cost.  As set out in (iii) below, the alternative branches are not easily accessible by public transport. 

(iii) accessibility of nearest branch – this I believe is the main reason why the Holcombe branch should remain open.  Apart from the sheer distance to the nearest branch, the closest two branches cited in your literature ( Ashleigh Way and Dawlish) are not accessible for a significant number of Holcombe residents.  The demographics of the village (obtained from the Office of National Statistics database) reveals that over 40% of residents are aged over 60 (over double the national average), with many over the age of 80.  The median age of the area is 56, compared to 37 nationally.  A sizeable number of these older people do not own a car and would therefore need to use public transport if the branch, and the associated village shop, was to close.  Your literature acknowledges that there is no bus service to the Ashleigh Way branch, so Dawlish would be the nearest office.  To get there, an elderly person would have to walk down to the main road as the bus does not come through the village itself.  There is a 600 yard walk from the present Post Office to the bus stop, not 440 yards stated in your literature.  At Dawlish there is another quarter of a mile walk from the bus stop to the PO branch.  So a round trip would mean an elderly person walking well over a mile, with their return journey through the village being uphill.  And some residents will have longer journeys as they live further away from the bus stop.  A person at the top end of the village is over half a mile from the bus stop and would have an uphill journey to get home (an average gradient of around 10%, with one 200 yard stretch being at a 14% gradient).  Getting a taxi to the nearest branch would cost around £11 which is prohibitive for most people on a pension.  Is this what the Government wants for our elderly?  Are disabled people really going to be able to make such a journey?  Quite frankly, some people will not be able to get to a PO in the future unless they are taken there by friends or family.

(iv) cost to the PO of running the branch – I am unable to comment on this criterion as I have no access to your figures.

In addition to the above factors, I believe that the PO should take into account the following issues:

a)      it is highly likely that if the PO was to close in Holcombe, the associated village shop would no longer be viable.  This is an important asset for the village given the issues of accessibility for older residents; and

b)      as the PO and shop is at the heart of village life, its closure would both impact on the attractiveness of village for current residents and affect its development.

There is considerable support within the village for the retention of the branch, as witnessed by a sizeable petition that will be coming your way and the views expressed at a public meeting in the village hall.

To give you an example of how the branch closure would impact on our household, we would be less likely to use certain PO services in future as the facility would no longer be “on our doorstep”.  As we do have our own transport, we would do certain banking transactions elsewhere (paying in, foreign currency) and be less inclined to go out of our way to find another PO branch when other providers offer similar services.  In particular, we will have to consider whether it is more cost effective to use couriers, rather than the PO Special Delivery service, for the business we presently conduct.  

I am copying this letter to Postwatch.