Rally to save Shoreham's Post Office on Saturday

Shoreham Post Office in Brunswick Road. Picture: Google Street View

The Post Office announced in January that it was seeking retail partners for its Shoreham crown office, which could see it move from its current location.

Catherine Arnold, a member of the Adur Labour Party, started a petition against the franchise plans which has amassed more than 1,500 signatures, and has organised the rally this Saturday from 10am to noon.

“I’m hoping there’s going to be quite a lot of us there,” she said.

The rally will call for the Post Office to remain in the Brunswick Road building, which is ‘heavily utilised by a wife demographic’.

Catherine has also applied for the building to be registered as an asset of community value, which means the community will have a chance to bid on the building if it comes up for sale.

She is awaiting a response from Adur District Council to find out whether the application has been successful.

Shoreham’s crown office is one of 37 in the country that the Post Office is seeking franchise partners for.

Roger Gale, Sales and Trade Marketing Director for the Post Office, said this would be a ‘more sustainable approach for the long term’, adding that the ‘vast majority’ of their branches are run with partners.

“With consumer habits changing, and the high cost of maintaining premises in prime high street locations, franchising helps us to keep services where our customers want and need them,” said Mr Gale.

“We’re committed to maintaining the Post Office’s special place on the high street and the changes we are making underpin our continued commitment to give communities in every part of the country access to essential services.”

He said the Post Office would take time to identify the right partners over the coming months and that all proposals would be subject to local consultation.

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