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08
Sept
Knaresborough Post Office ‘not good enough’
Discussions to improve the level of service at Knaresborough Post Office are continuing, a business group has heard.
Peter Lacey, a director of Knaresborough & District Chamber, described recent developments at the town’s Post Office as a “debacle” at a chamber meeting last week.
Mr Lacey said the branch only provided a “basic counter service”, adding:
“The level of service of things you can do there is not good enough for a town the size of Knaresborough.”
He praised Andrew Hart, who runs the neighbouring post office in Starbeck, and Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, for continuing to seek improvements.
Andrew Hart
Mr Hart, who wanted to buy Knaresborough Post Office, has frequently raised concerns with Post Office Ltd and has urged it to introduce a ‘fit and proper’ test for postmasters.
He was due to meet post office officials today (September 8) as part of his campaign.
Questions in Parliament
The town’s standalone post office on High Street closed last year after the building was repossessed by landlords.
It later emerged VPS PVT Ltd, which ran the branch along with about a dozen other post offices, had gone into liquidation owing debts of £378,000.
Ankur Singh, who was sole director of VPS PVT Ltd, was reappointed the town’s postmaster by Post Office Ltd when it reopened the branch in a pharmacy on High Street.
Tom Gordon, described the decision to reappoint Mr Singh as “astounding” and raised questions in Parliament. In July, post office minister Gareth Thomas agreed “in principle” to meet Mr Gordon to hear his concerns.
The Stray Ferret has attempted to contact Mr Singh.
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