downsmail.co.uk


News Postmaster hits back at rumours


A VILLAGE postmaster has hit back at claims he plans to close his business to make a profit. Gary Coyle (pictured), who has


served as postmaster at Sutton Valence for 27 years, denies he has been offered money to sell the busi- ness and says he has no current plans to convert the shop premises into a house. Mr Coyle, who lives above the


Broad Street shop with his wife Jackie, is the UK head of a global software company based in Lon- don. Ten years ago he appointed Kiran Sethi as manager to run the shop. Mr Coyle now wants to retire


from the business, which he says is no longer profitable, and has been working with the parish council


and the Post Office to find a new location for the post office within the village boundary.


The Post Of-


fice has said it would be happy for it to operate from Haven Farm, assuming safe access can be provided from the A274. A group of


local residents failed to get the building listed as an asset of


community value with Maidstone Council and were urging locals to object to plans to convert the build- ing into a house.


But no such planning application


has been submitted and Mr Coyle said he had no intention of chang- ing the nature of the property at this current time. He said: “I have lived and served


this village for 27 years and have beenworking with the parish coun- cil for 18 months to try to resolve the issue of the post office. “There will still be a post office in


the village – just in a different loca- tion. The protest came from a small group of no more than 20 people out of a village of 1,800 residents.” Opponents of the closure claimed


a consortium of local businesses had offered to buy the shop, but Mr Coyle denied this. He said: “I had one phone call from a local business personwhom


Village postie says goodbye after 20 years A keen fisherman, Derek plans to spend more


RESIDENTS gave their stamp of approval to the retirement of their village postie – by donating £850 towards his leaving gift. Postie DerekWhitelock (65) has served the peo-


ple of Yalding and Laddingford for more than 20 years – and is just as popular with the four-legged friends of his customers as he is with the people. Derek, from Chatham, who was a familiar sight cycling along the lanes, always carried a selection of doggie treats.


time on the Norfolk Broads, so the funds raised went towards the purchase of a pair of fishing reels and a £400 tackle voucher – aswell as a bot- tle of rare malt whisky to ward off the winter chills.


Villagers turned out to say farewell to Derek at


a party organised by postmaster Tim Chapman, with a cake from the village’s ‘Ultimate Cakes’ baker Helen Palmer.


I know offering to buy the property, not just the business, and I told him itwas not for sale. At no timewas a figure on the value of the business discussed.” Mr Coyle said he and his wife in-


tend to continue living above the empty shop. He also claims a large majority of customers are support- ive and pleased there might be a post office at Haven Farm. Mr Coyle said hewould consider


all potential opportunities for the future of the shop: “This could be in the form of a community-run- shop, a combination of a grocery store and tea shop and other mixed use. “It would obviously depend on


the business case and whom came forward with a viable proposition.”


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Maidstone South July 2014 3


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