Whilst it is always great to see political rivals put aside
their party bias for the common good, I can’t help but feel like they only
agree on the soft issues that everyone can easily agree on. Such is the case
with the possible closure of the Post Office on the High Street in Aberystwyth.
In total 42 Post Offices have been identified as branches
bleeding money and becoming dead weight for the company. Seeing as the Post
Office was privatized not so long ago, it cannot afford to operate at a loss.
The premises in Aberystwyth has been in use as a Post Office
since 1901. There is no denying the historical and social significance of the
building, but what viable options are there to keep it as is, without propping
up a private company with public finances?
The local authority could offer a huge rate relief which
would make it finically viable for the business interests of the Post Office.
But that rate relief would set a bad precedence, whereby any business with
superficial historic significance could hold the public to ransom in the same
way.
If it is such an important issue to local people, then they
could take out home phone and broadband contracts with the Post Office, spend
more money in there so it becomes less of a drain on their corporate interests.
I personally find it frustrating that people are rallying
behind this banner of saving the post office, when nobody did a thing when it
was privatized in the first place. If it was still owned by the state, then it
could justifiably run at a loss because it’s a public service. But it’s not and
we cannot change that without further cost to the tax-payer.
No one drew battle lines when the sorting office was closed.
The location has been turned into Cross Fit and everyone seems happy with the
situation. The Post Office, isn’t even talking about removing services, just
franchising out, which makes perfect economic sense.
It works well in CK’s at the top of Penglais Hill, and on a
national level. If it is franchised out to WHSmiths or the new Tesco, would
people really care? Post Office services are becoming obsolete with each
passing day. More and more of their services are accessible online, with
private delivery firms operating far more efficiently and at a lower operating cost.
At what point is it just blind sentiment preventing progress?
I wonder what the townsfolk of today would do if they were
informed that a church was closing and being turned into a pub. They would probably
be dead set against it, and we would not have the Academy.
Sometimes change is for the better, even though it can be
hard letting go of the past, I feel it’s better to embrace the future. The
building will always have historical significance, that doesn’t mean it has to
remain a Post Office. It could end up being a nice new café, or a boutique
clothing store. The possibilities are endless.
Although in this town, it will most likely end up being
another Polly’s, a charity shop or a mobile phone shop.
https://www.facebook.com/mark4ceredigion/photos/pcb.590103364479859/590103274479868/?type=3&theater
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