Post office closure sparks fears for residents
Residents warn that older and disabled people could struggle to access vital services.
**Post office closure raises concern among residents**
The Post Office said it hoped to open a replacement branch as soon as possible
People in Exmouth have expressed their upset as the town’s post office gets ready to close, with some saying vulnerable residents may struggle to reach vital services.
The branch, which is located inside the town’s TGJones store - formerly WHSmith, is due to shut on Monday as part of a broader closure programme affecting about 150 stores across the UK.
The Post Office said it hoped to open a replacement branch as soon as possible, though the process could take about six months.
In the meantime, it said customers would be directed to branches at Littleham Cross and Budleigh Salterton.
Kate Wilcox, who campaigned against moving the post office into WHSmith several years ago, said the town had been hollowed out
Kate Wilcox, who campaigned against moving the post office into WHSmith several years ago, said residents had long feared the arrangement would leave the town without a permanent service.
She said: "Exmouth has a population of 36,000 and rising and it's an elderly demographic and quite honestly people need the post office services."
Wilcox said the loss of banks and building societies in recent years had made the post office even more important, especially for people who depended on face-to-face banking and government services.
She said: "The town has been hollowed out by the closure of banks and building societies, the closure of the post office."
Wilcox also warned the closure would be especially hard for older and disabled residents who may find it difficult to travel to other branches.
She said: "These are the people that actually need a friendly face to say, all right my love, what can I do?"
Debbie Frost said many people still needed face-to-face support
Exmouth resident Debbie Frost said the closure would make everyday tasks harder because she would have to travel further to use post office services.
Frost, who is visually impaired, said growing reliance on digital services and touchscreen technology created extra barriers.
While she accepted that services were changing, Frost said many people still needed face-to-face support and often had no choice but to rely on others.
She said: "I have to rely on friends or family to help me."
The Post Office said in a statement: "We know how important our products and services are to the local community.
"The vacancy has been advertised and we have heard from interested retailers and we are looking more closely at the expressions of interest.
"We want to open a replacement branch as soon as possible, but this can take around six months."