Adam Symons News
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Local Businesses Could Die Due to Post
Office Closures
Unintended Consequences of ‘Efficiency
Culture’
Monday 16 June 2008
With the threatened closure of Buckland Brewer post office,
it's not just buying stamps and getting a TV licence that could be lost from the
village. A local resident has warned that the shutting of the post office would
be 'disastrous' for their business.
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Kay and Phil Bromhead with the Egg-Skelter |
Kay and Phil Bromhead run Egg-Skelter, a business making
stylish egg-holders created 18 months ago in Buckland Brewer. Originally Phil,
who is an agricultural engineer, made one as a present for Kay, but they and
their friends liked it so much, they decided to make some more and launch it as
a product. The business has been a roaring success, with interest from overseas
manufacturers. However, the Bromhead's decided that the product should be 'made
in England', giving employment locally in an economically depressed area, and
keeping the carbon footprint down.
Kay said: “It has been a really learning curve to construct
a new retail business. We wanted to make sure we created jobs locally, but also
that we were as green as possible. We use shredded paper to pack the Egg-Skelter,
and recycle as much as possible. We receive orders daily, and the boxed product
is taken to Buckland Brewer Post Office to get them off to customers, we send
out 20 boxes at a time.”
“However, now that the post office is threatened with
closure we fear the effect on the business will be disastrous. The nearest post
office is Abbotsham, where parking is unsafe, and the shop is tiny. I have
also made an exploratory trip to Bideford main post office, but I couldn't park
near it, and therefore had to pay for parking and carry the boxes in and leave
them unattended in there. The people in the queue behind me were not best
impressed, as each box has to be weighed, and each receipt has to be identified
by the recipients postcode, which is time consuming and disruptive in a busy
post office. It took nearly half an hour, whereas at Buckland Brewer, I
just drop in the boxes, and Karis and the staff deal with them when they have a
gap and I pick up the receipt later in the day. I have a day job with the
school meals service so I can't be waiting around all day.”
Torridge Councillor, Adam Symons, who chaired the Buckland
Brewer post office meeting said: “It was quite obvious from the meeting that
Kay's business plans would be turned upside-down by this closure. There is a
worry that the community shop will close, and who knows what other business are
going to be adversely affected. This example just demonstrates the unintended
consequences of 'efficiency culture' where services are cut to save money, but
the costs for the whole community are much more significant. The Government
might save £4 million a week through the closure programme, but they will cost
the country a lot more than that.”
Kay added: “We have built the business with help from good
old fashioned efficiency, politeness, and service from Buckland Brewer. This is
exactly what a rural enterprise needs, although the Government seem to have
forgotten this, and seem intent to try to ruin any attempt at rural enterprise.
It seems self defeating, as the tax we will be paying on the profit we make from
the Egg-Skelter, and the tax the staff pay, will be lost as we will be forced to
consider the future of our product.”
“The proposed Mobile Van to replace Buckland Brewer post
office will not cope with the boxes, and I will not be here when I need to drop
the boxes off. Woolsery seems to be the nearest post office to be able to
provide the service we need, but that is a 15 mile round trip, and just
increases our costs and our carbon footprint. We want to use the post office,
but this will just make us take our business away!”
Sutcombe Suffers From Closure
Residents adamant that Post Office must not close
Monday 9 June 2008
Sutcombe village hall plays host to the Post Office Network
Change programme this week, as residents get to grill Postwatch and Post Office
Ltd as to why Sutcombe Post Office is closing.
Three weeks ago, the Post Office Network Change Programme
identified that Sutcombe post office was to be closed.
Since then, residents have been adamant that the Post Office
must not close. They have organised a meeting for Thursday 12th June to discuss
how to fight the closure.
The meeting, to be held on Thursday evening at 8pm, is open
to all residents, and will include representatives from Postwatch, the Post
Office Network Change Programme and Devon County Council.
Torridge Councillor Adam Symons, who is chairing the
meeting, said: “'It is very important that residents from Sutcombe and the
surrounding parishes come and show their support for the Post Office at Sutcombe.
It is the only shop of any kind in the village, and the nearest alternative is
in Bradworthy, nearly 3 miles away up a winding road. Sutcombe has no bus
either. What are people without transport, or the elderly or infirm meant to do?
”Thursday will be an opportunity for all residents to ask
difficult questions to those who are running the closure programme. We want to
gather as many reasons to why Sutcombe should stay open to ensure that we
present a strong case to Post Office Ltd. We are going to be positive and keep
fighting for Sutcombe.”
Chance To Address Rural Poverty Welcomed
Unfulfilled potential of Rural Businesses
Friday 6 June 2008
The unfulfilled potential from businesses in rural areas
might be as much as £347 billion per year, according to a report released
yesterday by the Chair of the Commission for Rural Communities.
Following last year's flooding and outbreaks of animal
diseases, the Government asked Stuart Burgess, to advise on how rural economies
could be strengthened. Stuart's report 'England's rural areas: steps to release
their economic potential' sets out a package of practical proposals to improve
support for people and enterprises in the rural business sector to help them
realise their potential.
Speaking at the Sustainable Communities 2008 conference,
Adam Symons, Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson for Torridge and West Devon
said: “I welcome this report. When you look at the performance of businesses in
rural areas compared to urban areas, they show significant differences in
performance. The report has identified that this could be worth as much as £347
billion to rural economies.
“There is certainly no shortage of business opportunities in
the area. West Devon has the highest per capita number of business accounts
opened at high street banks in 2005 for rural areas. However, this is not always
translating into actual income. Torridge and West Devon have very low average
annual wages, and with some of the highest differences between wages and house
prices, this is causing significant hardship.
“The report has identified a number of barriers to rural
businesses including poor access to funds, poor public transport, poor access to
broadband, loss of young people and planning restrictions. If we can work to
unlock the potential of these businesses, we could double the rate of earnings
by firms registered for VAT or PAYE in our rural areas. I hope the Government
finally take note of the potential of rural areas including Torridge and West
Devon, and implement some of the recommendations.”
The report sets out a package of proposals for coordinating
government activity to improve areas of support for and development of people
and enterprises in the rural business sector in order for this potential to be
realised:
- the creation of a Rural Finance Forum to examine and overcome the causes
of lower capital investment, poorer access to finance, and lower funding for
rural economic initiatives;
- the creation of a Rural Innovation Initiative to address the special
challenges and opportunities in sparse or remote rural areas;
- development of new forms of brokerage, networks and clusters to improve
access to employee and business support programmes and share good practice;
and
- a new compact between government, insurance and rural industries to
improve response to shocks caused by disease and bad weather and develop new
insurance products.
Note on the report:
The report identified a number of barriers to rural
businesses:
- difficulties in recruitment;
- poor access to funds;
- limited availability of office, or start-up, or grow-on premises;
- poor public transport, making travel to work difficult for low-paid
employees;
- lack of affordable housing;
- incomplete understanding of rural businesses by urban-based authorities
and agencies;
- too much regulation;
- farming incomes depressed;
- poor access to broadband;
- planning restrictions;
- low wages;
- challenges of accommodating migrant workers;
- opposition from residents or from absentee home owners to developments
that create or maintain jobs in their village or community; and
- loss of young people.
Buckland Brewer Rally Around Post Office
Meeting against the closure of village Post Office
Tuesday 3 June 2008
The first of many community meetings is taking place today,
Tuesday, as Buckland Brewer village hall plays host to a meeting to rally
against the closure of the village Post Office.
Two weeks ago, the Post Office Network Change Programme
identified that Buckland Brewer post office, which was only reopened in 2006 was
allocated for replacement by an ‘outreach service’, cutting the hours of service
by a third.
The planned closure has been fiercely criticised by a number
of agencies including Devon Renaissance. In a letter to the Post Office Network,
Simon Mallett, Senior Project Officer said: “Devon Renaissance granted £27,736
of public funding to refurbish the site at Buckland Brewer in order that a Post
Office and community shop be established to serve the needs of this isolated and
access deprived community.
“Without the Post Office, the community shop is not viable.
There are no other shops remaining in the village. We cannot understand how the
access criteria have been applied. We therefore urge that the decision to close
this new and vital service be reviewed and are happy to contribute to any such
process.”
The meeting, to be held on Tuesday evening at 7pm, is open
to all residents, and will include representatives from Postwatch, the Post
Office Network Change Programme and Devon Renaissance.
Torridge Councillor Adam Symons, who is chairing the
meeting, said: “It is a ridiculous situation that two years ago, public money
was invested to open up this Post Office, and now public money is being spent to
shut it down again. I think people will rightly look for answers as to why such
a thriving shop and post office are going to be shut down. The nearest
replacement post office is over 4 miles away at Abbotsham. The more you look at
this closure programme, the more bonkers it seems!
“So tonight will be about getting answers to difficult
questions. Working with the postmaster, Keith Horwell, we are going to be
putting together a robust submission to challenge the validity of this closure
decision. We urge members of the public to come along to the meeting, but also
to write in to express their opposition to this closure.”
Morwellham dedicated as World Heritage
Mining Site
“Morwellham Could Be Next Eden”
- Adam Symons
Monday 2 June 2008
 Saturday
saw two events at Morwellham Quay, as Morwellham was dedicated as a World
Heritage Mining Site, together with the reopening of the restored Great Dock.
In the 1800s, Morwellham Quay was a port for the richest
copper mine in the world. It was connected to Tavistock, 4 miles away, via the
Tavistock Canal completed in 1817.
Speaking at the reopening of the Great Dock, Adam Symons,
Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson for Torridge and West Devon said, “I fully
support the time and effort that has gone into restoring this famous Quay. It is
an amazing location, and with support could be the next Eden Project.”
“I came here as a child, and am so glad to see it being
lovingly restored once more.”
Photograph shows Adam Symons and Vice-Mayor Alison Clish-Green
taking protection in front of Morwellham’s water wheel.
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