The shop is open for business, but Longham Post Office is gone

The fight continues despite forced closure

After providing postal services for 150 years, Longham Post Office was forced to shut its counter at 1pm today (Friday, 9 January 2009) as part of Post Office Ltd’s countrywide closures. 

Postmaster, Graham Moore, who is the third generation of his family to run the post office is determined to obtain a reprieve.  He believes his post office is vital to the community and said, “I am continuing to fight the campaign with the hope of reopening the post office counter at some point in the future. The newsagent and grocery side of the shop will stay open for customers, but they will have to take their post to Penny’s Walk in Ferndown town centre, which doesn’t have any parking.”

Penny’s Walk Post Office is already busier, due to the fact that it is taking the additional pressure from the other recent Ferndown post office closures at Stapehill and Wimborne Road East. 

Mr Moore’s campaign has the support of Robert Walter, his MP, Ferndown Town Council, East Dorset District Council, the Dorset Community Action Group, local businesses and residents.

The mayor of Ferndown, Cllr Lesley Dedman, who visited on the day of closure said, “We will support Graham all we can.  Longham is a very good facility and we don’t want to lose it.  People are telling us that Penny’s Walk is overcrowded and difficult to access.  Ferndown is a large and growing town and needs more than one post office.”