Royal Mail to discontinue collections from Totland, causing local post office closure

Island Community Ventures Ltd, owned by local charity Community Action Isle of Wight, has made the difficult decision to shut Totland outreach post office service from 30th April 2024.

The decision comes following notification received from Royal Mail last week that it will stop collecting post and parcels from Totland Post Office on Monday 1st April. 

Significant increase in running costs
This will mean a significant increase in running costs to a service that already needs to be subsidised by Totland Parish Council and Community Action IW, to cover the time and cost of taking post/parcels on a daily basis to the core post office branch in Godshill.

Whilst technically Royal Mail, within its contract with Post Office Ltd, is within its rights not to collect from an ‘outreach’ service, the fact that it does pick up from a post box almost opposite the post office, makes their decision very frustrating from the local community’s point of view.

Bulpitt: Even when well used it doesn’t make it economically viable
Chief Executive of Community Action Isle of Wight Mike Bulpitt said,

“With the support of Totland Parish Council, we’ve delivered this outreach service for a number of years since the previous sub postmaster retired and it is frustrating that we cannot continue especially as it is a well used service.

“Unfortunately even when well used it doesn’t make it economically viable and the additional operating costs incurred as a result of the change by Royal Mail, means that we will have to close.

“I’d like to thank our staff who have helped us to deliver this much-valued local service and all those who have used our services locally.”

Other community ventures
Island Community Ventures will continue to run both Godshill Post Office and the weekly outreach services in Wootton and Brading with the support of the local parish councils.

Post Office services are available in Yarmouth and at Tesco Superstores in Freshwater for local residents needing these services in the future.

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