Ballasalla is set to lose its post office counter service.

The announcement has ’shocked and astounded’ residents and constituency MHK Graham Cregeen, who first learned of the decision on December 20.

What is more, consultation closes on January 17, giving residents little time to respond particularly over the busy Christmas period.

Julie Edge, chairman of the Isle of Man Post Office, wrote to Mr Cregeen: ’The sub postmaster has given notice to terminate his contract.

threat

’With the continuous decline in retail network transactions as well as the threat of two major government contracts ending in the next three years, the board are clear that there is not a commercially viable counter-based service for Isle of Man Post Office and a sub postmaster to operate in the village.’

There have been two sub post office closures within the last 18 months - Pulrose and Crosby Terrace in Douglas. A third, St John’s, is due to close today (December 31).

Miss Edge claimed these closures had the ’positive effect’ of increasing transactions for the closest offices, making them more viable.

She said the counter service at Ballasalla would be replaced with a ’more sustainable and affordable’ self service kiosk, which would ’retain postal and bill payment services in the locality’.

A counter service would still be available less then three miles away in Castletown, she said.

S&S Motors provides a collection point for customers wishing to pick up parcels.

Some 170 Micard customers currently collect benefits and pensions from Ballasalla post office. Of those, about 48% claim pension and benefits.

But 86% of the over-65 population have the state pension paid into their bank account and about a third of Micard customers do not live in the community.

Public consultation undertaken in 2017 revealed in the IM9 postcode area there were 615 respondents of which 216 were customers of Ballasalla post office.

Of these, 51% of these conducted postal transactions, about 14% conducted vehicle licensing transactions, 3% used Ballasalla for the collection of benefits and pensions.

Half of customers said they would use another post office in a different location if their own office was closed.

Unhappy with all aspects of the decision and the way it has been handled, resident Orry Mitchell said: ’We keep getting knocked on the head. The village is growing but we keep losing services. What do we do when the kiosk machine doesn’t work?

’They say we should go to Castletown but people don’t go there because the commissioners keep closing the square to parking.

’Why don’t the Post Office come and talk to the people? It feels like a dictatorship not a democracy.

’They should try and advertise the position.’

Resident Brenda Crellin said: ’This is age discrimination given who it affects.’

She added the 2017 figures on who uses the village post office are ’flawed’ because many people who use the sub post office live in St Mark’s or Santon, which is not an IM9 post code.

She said: ’The elderly and disabled go there to meet people and buy stuff at Ye Olde Bakery. They don’t shop in Castletown because there’s no parking.

’This is disgusting. It will isolate the elderly and consequently strain the NHS because of mental health issues. It creates an extra cost in society.’

Constituency MHK Mr Cregeen said given the hundreds of houses being built in the area there should be more - not fewer - services.

He said ’They have not consulted with the people who use it. There has been no advertising for expressions of interest in anyone interested in taking it over.

And this is very short sighted. Hundreds of houses are being built in Ballasalla and there’s lots of business from Balthane. People are astounded. The whole thing has been badly thought out.’

Mr Cregeen is calling for the Post Office to appear at a public meeting. He said a petition against the closure is being drawn up.

A self-service kiosk is to be provided in the village shop at St John’s after the sub-postmaster in the village steps down from today (December 31).