Just days after the possibility was mooted, an Isle of Wight town council has decided not to take on a soon-to-be-closed Post Office.
Sandown Town Council (STC) was looking at the possibility of taking on the vital service after the future of the Post Office on Avenue Road was in doubt.
It was housed in the Central Convenience Store but the retail hub closed, leaving the Post Office only open until March 10.
Cllr Debbie Andre asked whether STC would be able to take it on but it was deemed not viable.
Speaking at the STC meeting last night (Monday), Cllr Andre said she had approached several High Street businesses but they were unable to take it on.
She proposed the town council produce a business case to see if it would be viable for them to do so.
A £10,000 allocation could have been set aside to investigate the option but the idea was rejected by the majority of councillors.
Cllr Frank Baldry said he had spoken to former postmasters who would now not touch a Post Office franchise “with a barge pole”.
Mayor, Cllr Paddy Lightfoot, said he had spoken to Hailsham Town Council — an authority that runs a Post Office — about the reality of taking over a franchise.
He told councillors the East Sussex authority had already spent £32,000 but is now budgeting for tens of thousands of pounds in losses.
Cllr Alex Lightfoot said it was an invaluable service but it was not viable.
He said the Post Office was now modernising so asked if there were ways to help the community without the risk of being a postmaster.
A public meeting was agreed upon instead to explore ways the community can access Post Office services and ways STC can support them.
The franchise is being marketed by the Post Office, until May, with commission rates of between £31,050 and £34,500 a year.
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