Post Office Closures
Posted by Lee Scott, MP for Ilford North, at 10:27, Wed 19 March 2008:
We are facing the threat of closure of 169 of London's 850 branches - a fifth of the network.
In Ilford North the Spurway Parade Woodford Avenue, the Fencepiece Road and the New North Road branches are threatened with closure.
I have written to Post Office Ltd and met with them to express my very strong opposition to these proposed closures. I have submitted a Parliamentary motion condemning these plans. I intend to present protest petitions on the issue to the House of Commons.
If these closures go ahead it will be a serious blow for the elderly and will mean longer queues at the surviving post offices.
The loss of 4500 branches since 1997 and plans for a further 2500 closures are the result of this Governments policies. It was they who decided to take away key areas of business from the Post Office. Labour has forgotten that the post office exists not simply to make a profit but to provide a key pubic service.
I would like to hear your views on this issue.
Lee Scott MP
Comments
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Posted by Susana Posada, 10:37, Wed 19 March 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
The fact that they are closing so many post offices, is inconsiderate to those that may need it. The fact that people will have to travel a further distance causing an inconvinience especially when they are not open late. The Post office on New North Road and the one on Fencepiece are in close proximity of each other, so if they closed one, the other is not too far away, but by closing both there is further to travel, and the gueues are going to be terrible. At least if one could be saved that would be good.
Posted by Alex Chaplin, 10:41, Wed 19 March 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
I wholeheartedly agree with your comments and deplore the closure of these post offices. The opportunistic hypocrisy of Cabinet ministers in campaigning for their local offices is breathtaking!
Posted by Carolynne Spencer, 10:44, Wed 19 March 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
I do appreciate that the post office does have to make money but there still needs to be a local service for all residents. In the immediate local area of New North Road and Fencepiece road this will put pressure on Barkingside ( which regular has queues outside the door) and manford way which is also a busy post office. How does that service the customer with efficient service only forces them to try and find more efficient ways. A kind of self fullfilling prophercy.
I applaude the idea that Essex County Council are investigating to create council post offices and combining the post office services with access to council services.
Not understanding fully how post offices are funded etc but if some of these in shops are so profitable and busy why the shops cannot carry on the business under some sort of franchise. Is it cynical of me that if the owners of the shops were ( I think they are) not paid for running the post office it would not be so profitable.
Please do what you can to try and maintain the local post offices they are part of the community and should be seen as such otherwise we shall become even more insular and not see our neighbours.
regards
Posted by Peter Flynn, 12:20, Wed 19 March 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
These Post Office closures are obviously being recommended by people who don't have to use them. The average person especially the elderly and the infirm wil be greatly inconvienced by people who are totally remote from the user
Posted by peter Dacey, 16:30, Wed 19 March 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
This government does not care what we all think. They will go ahead with their plans, just like the extra runway at Heathrow. The only thing they care about is linning their greedy pockets, while the rest of us have to fund them.
Posted by Samia Mazid, 19:31, Wed 19 March 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
What are the arguments for closing Post Offices? Find ways to make them profitable if necessary - I also like the idea of combining with council services. I for one will be really annoyed if I have to travel into town (WHSmith) everytime I need postal services; it must be much worse for people with mobility issues.
Posted by Ian Cox, 00:40, Thu 20 March 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
I agree with your concern over these closures, and I'm not sure the Post Office is being honest with us about all of them. The main post office in Ilford looked like a going concern to me. Its closure is a disaster. The queue in the W. H. Smiths replacement was far too long for me to join. So I gave up. If the PO couldn't make a profit out of its Ilford branch, it suggests gross management incompetence. My belief is that it occupied a prime site and they wanted to sell the land to make a quick profit.
Posted by Anna McGovern, 09:43, Thu 27 March 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
I agree with you too!