Second blow hits struggling peak village

Written by Richard Wooley and published in Matlock Mercury on Thu 9th Nov 2006

RESIDENTS fighting to keep Stoney Middleton School open have been caught off-guard by a dramatic cut in the village post office's opening hours.

The Main Road post office, previously open six days per week, is now operating for just six hours per week.

Parish councillor Shirley Holt this week said this development, coupled with the school's uncertain future, threatened to turn the village into a "geriatric ghetto".

The cut in hours was made after the previous sub postmaster left and the duty was taken over part time by the sub postmaster from Holymoorside.

Cllr Holt said: "We found out that the Post Office had decided arbitrarily to close it, except for two hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

"We're trying to keep both the school and post office open.

"If they close, the village will become a geriatric ghetto - no children will come in and I don't know how pensioners will be able to get their pensions.

"We're disgusted by it. I'm not aware of any consultation with the village."

Mark Kendall, who owns the shop which houses the post office, said: "We've been told to run it for those hours for a month and then reapply.

"It's pathetic. Some of the businesses from the trading estate are wanting to bring in parcels like you wouldn't believe and it's not open enough.

"We are open from 11am to 1pm on Tuesdays, so you either get your pension then or you don't get it.

"In a month's time we will apply to get it open full time but I wouldn't like to say how confident we are."

A spokesperson for the Post Office said: "We had to do something to maintain service and in respect of the business it was doing these were the only hours it warranted."

08 November 2006