VULNERABLE residents will be ‘seriously impacted’ by four upcoming post office closures in Coop stores, a charity head has said.
Jersey Post this week announced that its branches at Beaumont, Georgetown and Pontac will close on 27 October, while the Don Street office will close on 31 December.
Those at the Airport, St Aubin and SandpiperCI sites will remain open, as well as those in other Coop stores, but charity heads, politicians and local business owners have said the closures should have been avoided.
Ben Shenton, chair of Age Concern, said: ‘Vulnerable residents, including the elderly, people with disabilities, parents of young children, those on low incomes and those without access to private transport, shall be more seriously impacted by the post office closures.
‘For these people, life is centred more in their local area and therefore, the reduction of any local service will almost inevitably have a greater impact on them.
‘For most of these residents, using the post office was an integral part of their routine. It gave them the opportunity to get out of their homes and interact with others from the community. For others, particularly parents of young children, a trip to the post office offered a break from their routine.’
He continued: ‘The closure programme shall prevent some vulnerable residents who are less physically mobile from accessing the post office and its services. For vulnerable residents, who are less physically and socially mobile, life is more centred on their local communities.
‘While the closures are to some extent understandable, they are nonetheless disappointing.’
Deputy Lucy Stephenson said the closures would be a concern for her constituents who live at Beaumont, including elderly residents at L’Hermitage.
‘I want to understand what the impact will be on residents in that area, and I’ve reached out to begin that process,’ she said.
She added that she was looking into ‘other ways those communities could be served’, such as a mobile post office.
‘Because we are a small island, there are usually other options, but we have to be extra conscious that there are those communities who may find it hard to go further afield.
‘If it involves a bus journey or car trip, we have to make sure we are able to facilitate those things.’
Alex Mollin, owner of the Green Goose Coffee Shop, also in that area, said she understood that financial pressures led to necessary cutbacks.
‘However, we see the local residents who use the Coop at Beaumont regularly and it is quite popular, so it’s a shame to see that go,’ she said.
‘It’s a sign of the times,’ she continued. ‘Like the closure of bank branches, now it’s the post offices, and it will have an impact on residents who can’t drive or who are less tech-savvy and rely on those post offices to stay in touch. Those can be a lifeline.’
The news of post office closures in his parish also led St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft to express concern. He said: ‘It’s a shame to see these services go at a time when we are encouraging people to remain active. We’ll have to wait and see what the impact is.’
