The Post Office managed to choose the last day of the Horizon inquiry to release the news it was proposing to close 115 main branch Post Offices including the one here in Romsey. Unsurprisingly in Speakers Conference on Wednesday morning we agreed to grant and Urgent Question on this, which the Government chose to convert into a statement.
I have immediately written to the Secretary of State and also cornered the Minister who gave the Statement later on in the Commons. When Barclays closed in 2022 they cited the availability of banking services at our local Post Office branch as enabling banking services to continue. When Santander closed in 2019 there was a whole item placed on their website about the accessibility of banking at Romsey Post Office. So those promises about banking services are now sounding a little hollow.
Romsey Post Office, as those of us who have ever queued will know, is both popular and provides a range of services not otherwise available in the Town. I will be making it clear that this is a bad move, which will impact an area which has a significant elderly population who find it harder to access online services and to be frank prefer to go into Romsey Post Office where they know and trust the staff.
In more positive news the Town Council, the Royal British Legion and the Abbey put on a wonderful Act of Remembrance last Sunday. As ever it was a privilege to be part of it and to join so many local residents paying their personal tribute to the fallen last weekend. A shame it was too grey a day for the fly past by the Army Air Corps, but the poppy cannon in the Abbey was incredible as ever.
It is busy at the Crosfield Hall this weekend, with the Romsey Show Winter Fayre on Friday and Saturday is the Joint Charities Christmas Fair. It is also the Winter Carnival and Lantern Parade on Saturday evening and I am squeezing a trip to Thruxton to meet a group of residents there in between.