Oxfordshire Post Office closure prompts MP call for re-think

The sudden closure of the Post Office counter at East Hagbourne Community Shop has left villagers with reduced access to essential services and has also placed the future of the shop at risk.

Now Didcot and Wantage MP Olly Glover, working with local councillors and the shop’s directors, is calling on the Post Office to rethink its plans.

The community shop, run entirely by volunteers, has hosted the well-used Post Office counter for more than 20 years.

MP Olly Glover in the community shop (Image: Olly Glover)

Alongside providing groceries for locals and an outlet for food producers, the shop is at the heart of the village.

It acts as a meeting place, a source of local information, and offers volunteering opportunities for young people and those gaining confidence or skills.

Having the Post Office within the shop has played a crucial role in maintaining the shop’s viability.

Chair of the Community Shop, Sally Barksfield, said she was not informed directly by the Post Office about the closure of the post office counter.

County councillor Johnny Hope-Smith, who represents Didcot and The Hagbournes, was alerted by an officer.

Campaigners with Olly Glover (Image: Olly Glover)

Iain Duff, chairman of East Hagbourne Parish Council, said he was “appalled at the lack of communication and consultation from the Post Office area change manager as the closure of East Hagbourne Post Office would be so detrimental to our village and wider community”.

Following a meeting with shop volunteers and local councillors on Thursday, Mr Glover said: “Local businesses and community facilities like the shop and post office here are absolutely essential for those who are less mobile and for those without reliable transport, but they are also part of the social fabric of villages like the Hagbournes.

“The volunteer-run community shop is not in a position to take on the responsibility of employing a Postmaster and taking on the liability for managing a Post Office themselves, so the Post Office’s new so called ‘local’ model would be very difficult to make work.

“This all seems to contradict the government’s Green Paper on protecting rural post offices endorsed by the minister in February.

“In the first instance, will be asking for an urgent meeting with the Post Office and a representative from the Community Shop to discuss finding a way to secure the long term future of this much valued community hub.”

The Post Office placed a notice on March 4 stating that, following the resignation of the postmaster, they “are not looking to replace East Hagbourne Post Office at this time”.

However, according to the Post Office’s website, it is advertising for a successful retailer in the East Hagbourne area to tender to incorporate a Post Office Local into their existing or proposed business, with a closing date of April 13.

A petition organised by the shop, so far signed by 500 people, calls on the Post Office to reverse its decision.

Mr Glover has also received dozens of emails from concerned customers, volunteers, and community organisations describing how vital the Post Office and shop are to village life.

Mr Hope-Smith added: “The Post Office counter is a lifeline for many residents, especially those without easy access to services elsewhere.

“Losing it would be a real blow to the village, and I’m determined to work with the Hagbournes community and with Olly to press for a rethink.”