Sealand Community Council

Garden City Sealand Post Office

In response to my E-consultation form that I submitted regarding the Post Office’s plans to modernise Garden City Sealand Post Office and to introduce one of their new look Local style branches I have received the response provided below from Graham Hodson – Programme Correspondence Team.

I am worried about the lack of security for staff in the new proposals and the lack of privacy for customers. There will also be problems queuing due to shop layout.

If you agree with me can you please contact the Post Office – contact details are below

Many thanks

Dear Councillor Jones

Garden City Sealand Post Office®

35 Welsh Road, Garden City, Deeside, CH5 2HU

Thank you for taking the time to complete our E-consultation form regarding our plans to modernise Garden City Sealand Post Office and introduce one of our new look Local style branches. Your views are important to us and all of the issues you have raised have been included in this engagement process.

The changes planned for this Post Office are part of a Government funded strategy which will see around 6,000 branches (about half the Post Office network) converting to new style branches. This investment activity offers attractive opportunities for subpostmasters to grow their local business and the 20 million people and half of the UK’s small and medium size businesses who use the Post Office every week will benefit from longer opening hours in brighter, more modern retail environments.

The concerns you raise in terms of space and queuing after the change, have been noted. The Local model we are planning here, will see Post Office services offered from a till located on the retail counter. When integrating the new Local model into an existing retail branch the layout of the store will generally remain the same. The main retail counter will receive the most refurbishment to integrate the Post Office service point as well as the necessary security features it requires. There will be space to hold mail securely and, as with all branches, the operator and his team must take all reasonable precautions to safeguard the mail in their care and will be required to comply with our mails handling procedures. Aesthetic features like updated signage will also be added and we will work closely with our partner to plan the interior layout to ensure optimum use of the space within the premises for both retail and Post Office customers.

This style of format is designed around following simple processes for handling transactions that are as straightforward and as quick as possible. This helps to minimise queues and provide an efficient and speedy service when dealing with our customers transactions. The subpostmaster would ensure staffing levels are appropriate to offer the excellent and professional service we aim to provide in all of our branches. We would also continue to review service at the branch to ensure it makes the best use of resources, that it is able to meet the customer flow and also to consider what changes might be needed.

We do appreciate this is a different way of offering Post Office services compared with traditional ‘fortress’ style counters, however the introduction of non-screened formats is not new and has been underway in our branches for over 15 years. Each Post Office integration is looked at on an individual basis and all measures regarding privacy are considered and implemented in the branch if possible. I would like to reassure you that when we are talking with the operator, we work with them to make sure there is an appropriate level of privacy at the Post Office till point. We discuss issues like queue layout and asking customers to stand back from the counter whilst they are waiting for service. The open plan format can help in terms of more discreet communication as customers and counter staff don’t have to raise their voice to be heard through a glass screen. The extended opening hours can also help as customers can choose to visit at a quieter time. Additionally, the operator and any person they employ that will handle Post Office transactions, will also have signed the Official Secr

Roadworks on Chester Road West

On January 20th major roadworks will be starting on Chester Road West,  the Deeside Corridor, which starts at ASDA & goes to Wepre Drive in Connahs Quay.  This  extremely busy road is to undergo major traffic light maintenance.  This work is to improve, upgrade & synchronise the seven sets of traffic lights along this route. To minimise any potential disruption, the work will be carried out in small sections for approx 16 weeks. Delays are expected & FCC apologies for any inconvenience that may occur during this time

New Environment Enforcement Policy

Flintshire County Council now have a new Environment Enforcement Policy. Some issues covered by the policy are:-

Enforcement Officers are now employed by the County Counci to patrol our communities and if they observe any of these activities occurring they will issue a fixed penalty notice to the culprit.

There is also a Civil Parking Enforcement Policy, to control off Street parking.

Recycling and Residual Waste

Side waste will still be collected but there will be a check made by the operators on the wagons in regard to how often this is happening & at which properties. These householders will be asked to try to lessen this side waste by recycling more if possible.

The Northern Gateway Development Master Plan has been submitted to our Planning Dept and a considerable amount of work is being done on the plans for the infrastructure, roads, drainage etc. Hopefully, the river defence work will commence shortly and then work on the site can commence. We are looking at up to 1000 houses, a Technology Park. Hotel and shops. Exciting times for Sealand and much awaited homes and jobs.

Unfortunately in the next month or so you will see the demolition of The United Reform Church on Welsh Road. This is very sad, an end of an era for many of us. A very sad goodbye. It was also a sad goodbye to the Community Centre on Sealand Manor, which was recently demolished..

Plans have just been submitted by Clwyd Alyn for two Housing Developments in Garden City. One will be on Sealand Leisure Club Site and the other next to Days Hotel on Wesl Road. This will really tidy up the two sites, which are eyesores.

The new Community Hub at St Andrews Church seems to be coming on nicely, this will certainly benefit community groups in Sealand.

The Flying Start project is working well for our little ones at Sealand Youth Club. This is a wonderful scheme funded by Welsh Government and  is a welsh language playgroup

We also have Communities First projects ongoing in Garden City, which includes cookery courses, parenting support classes & a jobs club. This is again Welsh Government funded.

Challenging Times

As an Authority, Flintshire County Council  is facing an extremely challenging time. Over the next five years we will have to find efficiency savings totalling £50million. Next year we are looking at a financial gap of up to £15 million . This is due to the reduction of public funding from the UK Government to The Welsh Government. We have never seen spending cuts on this scale since we we were created as a Council in 1995 – 96. Many Councils across Wales have already announced controversial plans to reduce or withdraw local services. We at Flintshire County Council have been working intensively on our budget plans to try to protect our frontline services for 2014 -15 as far as we possibly can. We are working hard to protect Education, Social Services and Housing, as well as leisure facilities. But there are going to be difficult choices to make in the coming months and of course over the next five years. We are not alone in this, these cuts are being made all over the country, English Authorities are also being hit very hard. But we remain resolute in our commitment to defend our local communities against the worst impacts of the cuts . As I said we aim to protect local services and support the local economy and create jobs. We will s however still be investing in service improvements & new facilities, such as new local schools. We plan to do a consultation in local communities in the coming months to look at the priorities for the future & how we can plan & fund the services in our localities in a different way. I really wish I wasn’t having to share this distressing news with you, but as your County Councillor it is my job to keep you informed. I will continue to work hard for the residents of Sealand in these very demanding times and for The County of Flintshire