Dozens turn out to discuss Lancing Post Office proposals

The forum, held at St Michael’s church hall in South Street, allowed the public to ‘give feedback and ask any questions’ about the proposal to close the Crown Office in North Road and open a new branch at Garret’s Convenience Store, also in North Road, in October.

Sami Joseph has owned Garret’s Convenience Store for more than four years.

On deciding to put his shop forward for the role, he said: “I thought it would be a good opportunity. It’s not far off where it is now – it’s almost right next door.”

Using drawings of how the layout of the store would be altered, Laura Tarling, external affairs manager at the Post Office, addressed concerns about queues and accessibility.

She said new wide automatic doors and turning circles inside the store would ensure it was easily accessible for wheelchair users, while longer opening hours would be ‘more convenient’ and help reduce queues.

A petition to keep the post office in its current building, which has amassed more than 1,550 signatures online alone, was handed to representatives at the meeting by parish councillor Lee Cowen.

The petition will be considered by the Post Office in the decision process.

Resident Pam Pashley, of Wembley Avenue, said she found the public consultation ‘pretty uninformative’, as many of her questions went unanswered.

“People in Lancing still have no clear idea of what’s going on,” she said.

She also expressed concern over other services based in the Post Office building.

But Sally Hopkins, senior external relations manager at the Royal Mail – which owns 40 North Road – told the Herald there were no plans to move the delivery office to a new site.

Visit postofficeviews.co.uk to take part in the public consultation before it closes on Tuesday.