St Leonards Crown Post Office. Request for terms being offered to Mr Muttiah , prospective franchisee
R Brocklehurst made this Freedom of Information request to Post Office Limited This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.
July 18th 2017
Dear Post Office Limited,
I am writing under the aegis of the Freedom of Information Act to request information regarding the proposed franchise being offered to Mr Muttiah to take over the Crown Post Office in London Road, St Leonard's on Sea, East Sussex. It is difficult to comment on the proposal in this 'consultation phase' when no information is available as to exactly what Mr Muttiah is proposing to retail and under what terms. Under the FOI Act I am therefore requesting answers to the following questions.
1. It is proposed that the building itself is leased to Mr Muttiah. What are the terms being offered to Mr Muttiah?
2. Is the current Crown Post Office in St Leonard's profitable and may I view the accounts ?
3. Is the proposal for the Post Office to become a post office with services that are exactly the same as Crown Post Office services?
4. Is the proposal for the retail side of Mr Muttiah's proposed franchise to comprise a newsagents and tobacconist or is it to be more extensive and include a convenience store that sells a wider range of goods?
Yours faithfully,
Mrs Rosie Brocklehurst
1 North Lodge
Upper Maze Hill
St Leonard's on Sea
East Sussex
Dear Mrs Brocklehurst,
Please find an acknowledgement attached to your Freedom of Information
request.
Regards,
[1]cid:image001.png@01D06092.15F1BC40 Kerry Moodie
Information Rights Team
Ground Floor
20 Finsbury Street
LONDON
EC2Y 9AQ
Telephone number: 033 3665 3951
References
Visible links
Dear Ms Brocklehurst,
Please find the response attached to your Freedom of Information request.
Regards,
[1]cid:image001.png@01D06092.15F1BC40 Kerry Moodie
Information Rights Team
Ground Floor
20 Finsbury Street
LONDON
EC2Y 9AQ
Telephone number: 033 3665 3951
References
Visible links
Dear Mrs Brocklehurst,
Please find an update attached to your Freedom of Information request.
Regards,
[1]cid:image001.png@01D06092.15F1BC40 Kerry Moodie
Information Rights Team
Ground Floor
20 Finsbury Street
LONDON
EC2Y 9AQ
Telephone number: 033 3665 3951
References
Visible links
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Pat Aspinall left an annotation ()
A convenience store that "regularly" sold alcohol to children and made them sick has lost an appeal to save its licence.
Shelver Hill Post Office, in Tadworth, lost its licence to sell alcohol after a number of parents complained to police that a shop worker known as Bubba had served their children.
But the shop's owner, Alphonson Muttiah, claims he was "duped" by his employee and had no idea the illegal sales were taking place.
The appeal hearing took place at Redhill Magistrates' Court on Wednesday last week after Reigate and Banstead Borough Council revoked the store's licence in a hearing on November 12.
Mrs Sherkh, representing the council, said the shop was responsible for "one of the most serious sales to underage children".
She said: "These sales have been going on for a long time and children were regularly purchasing alcohol, drinking it with friends, coming home and being sick.
"Mr Muttiah claims he was innocent and naïve, but that is simply not an excuse."
Despite the hearing taking place in November, Mr Muttiah told the court he didn't firebu Bubba until December 3 because he "trusted" him.
On the stand he said: "I was confused when I received all these police statements from residents claiming their children had purchased alcohol in my store.
"I had no idea, none at all that this was going on. When I realised it was Bubba who was responsible I was devastated and it was a terrible shock.
"I confronted him and he told me he had done it. He said he was scared that if he didn't the kids would cause problems.
"Bubba said he blames the parents and they should look after their kids better – it's embarrassing really.
"I'm disappointed and hurt because I trusted him. He duped me. But ultimately it's my responsibility."
Paddy Roche, defending, urged the court to allow Mr Muttiah to keep his licence saying he has "learnt" from his mistake.
He said: "Yes he's been naïve and trusting and made a horrendous error, but he has learnt from it.
"There hasn't been a scrap of evidence that suggests any more alcohol has been bought by underage children since September."
Magistrates took over an hour to decide to uphold the decision to revoke Mr Muttiah's licence.
Chief Magistrate, Val Busby, said: "You were not pro-active in dismissing Bubba, and you were naïve to think your staff were adequate."
Magistrates also ordered Mr Muttiah to pay £2,525 in court costs.
Seaford and Weybridge Ltd (2016)