The Post Office in Claremont Road has had all its Post Office equipment removed. This is despite assurances by Government that further consultations will take place.

This withdrawal of services follows a recent exchange in the House of Commons when Conservative MP for Wealden Charles Hendry asked why some Post Offices have been shut down despite the fact that there were ongoing attempts to save them.

Jason said “Any negotiations were a total sham and the intention by the Government was always to close these Post Offices without any local democratic intervention.”

“It is another classic case of ‘Government Knows best.’ It will have an appalling effect on Postal services in Seaford forcing more people to make unnecessary journeys by car and joining longer queues at fewer Post Offices in the area. Despite the attempts of our local MP, the government is not listening to him or the views of our local residents.”

Angie Hindocha the postmistress said “this is a devastating blow not just for me but for all the people around here. I want to emphasise that all the other shop services still continue but to have all the Post Office services removed so suddenly and without any proper discussion was disgraceful and quite frightening. What will some of the older people around here do now? They will have to go to the main Post Office which if you do not have a car is a long way away.”

After twenty years of the current flood defence scheme, the need to continuously shore up and move the shingle around Seaford Beach is now starting to cause widespread local concern in it’s accessibility and safety for users.

In short, Seaford Beach is a shadow of what it once was and is undoubtedly now starting to undermine both Seaford’s and the wider Lewes District’s future economic prosperity.

Seaford Beach has no artificial protection from the full fury of the sea, and due to Newhaven West Arm blocking replacement shingle from the west, is slowly but continuously losing shingle. This means that at least twice every year huge diggers and lorries are brought in to try to reshape the beach at considerable and increasing year on year cost.

Jason recently visited the beach to see for himself the problems.

Jason said “It was really helpful to see the beach problems and talk to local people who are very concerned about the future of the beach. It is becoming hazardous now for users and often parts of the beach are so steep it cannot be used by swimmers, fishermen and walkers easily and safely. My concern is that unless a proper long term solution is found someone could be trapped or injured. It is a nonsense to employ huge diggers and lorries at least twice every year to try to reshape the beach. This strategy should no longer be considered acceptable.”

Jim Skinner, a resident of Newhaven and Seaford for over 45 years, who has taken a great interest in the beach problems, particularly over the past few years, explained the problems to Jason. He explained that the beach now consists of two parts. A top compacted unwashed part used twice a year by diggers and lorries as a means of moving the shingle around, and a mobile lower part. Each is separated by a steep escarpment which only the fittest can safely negotiate. The elderly and young families in particular are increasingly finding it hard to use the beach in safety.

Unless a more permanent and robust sea defence strategy can be found it will always be necessary for shingle repositioning and replacement to be undertaken at an ever-increasing cost.

Jim has started a petition calling for a proper investigation into the problem to find a cost effective safe solution, which returns the beach to an all year around community amenity it once was. The petition already has in excess of 1100 signatures. Jim said “I am very pleased that Jason and local Conservative Councillors responded so quickly and positively to my request to become involved in this issue which is so important for Seaford.”

Some really bad local news is the plans to shut several Post Offices across the constituency. Post Offices in Landport, North Chailey, Polegate, Newhaven and Seaford are all set to go. It’s an outrage and will hurt older and disabled people.

These closures could of been avoided if the Labour government didn’t repeatedly block Conservative efforts to give Post Offices more freedom so they could stay profitable and open.

I find it particularly hypocritical of Norman Baker to start moaning about these closures when he voted with Labour stop the reforms our Post Offices need. Norman Baker should be ashamed of the role he played in Parliament in killing off our local Post Offices.