Sponsored by
Angry public meeting fights local post office closures
Only 24 attend public meeting.
LINSLADE and Hockliffe Street Post Offices are in the firing line for closure because post offices in the town aren't far enough apart.
A public meeting at Vandyke Upper School on Wednesday was told that proximity to another post office was an important factor in the closure proposals, rather than how much profit or loss they make.
This was admitted by Post Office Ltd representatives at the lunchtime session, organised as part of public consultation.
Upset and angry residents aired their frustrations about the planned closure of the sub post offices in New Road and Hockliffe Street. But after two hours, they were pessimistic that Post Office Ltd had already made up its mind.
Suggestions were made that the meeting had not been properly publicised and that this was deliberate.
The panel conducting the meeting consisted of South Beds District Councillor Philip Penman, Richard Allan from Post Watch, Network Manager Laura Tarling and Akudo Ukachukwu, both from the Post Office's national consultation team, who assured the audience that their opinions would be valued.
They gave a summary of how the closures have been called for and what procedures would be followed before decisions were made. However, their general consensus was that Leighton's main post office in Church Square could cope with the extra business.
Akudo Ukachukwu explained how the government has ordered Post Office Ltd to close 2,500 post offices across the UK from both urban and rural areas. The existing post office network is considered unsustainable as it makes a loss of 3,500,000 a week and is being bailed out by the government. She also said how services now available on the Internet had contributed to the demise. Even Crown (main) post offices have to show their profitability by 2011, and many have already been franchised out to WHSmith.
The review has been based on nationally prescribed access criteria, which the government believes will help to avoid undue hardship for people potentially affected by the proposed closures. The criteria take into account geoography, public transport, alternative access to key services and the impact on local economies.
The intention is that 99 per cent of the total UK population will be within three miles of a post office and 95 per cent in rural areas. 90 per cent of the overall population will be within one mile of their nearest branch.
Laura Tarling said the emphasis was on distance to other post offices, ability for Crown post offices to cope, customer session data and financial savings to the Post Office to decide whether closure was warranted. It was their opinion that the main post office in Church Square could cope with more customers by opening more counters at busy times.
Former Town councillor Henry Fried put it to the panel that it was a government tactic to hold consultation in July and August when most people are "switched onto holidays and not issues of the post office."
His concern was that by the time people came back from holiday the post offices would be closed, which would bring hardship for hundreds if not thousands particularly for those living in Linslade.
John Trotman, vice-chairman of the Central Linslade Residents' Association said: "I only found out about the meeting by accident; the meeting was not properly publicised.
"To hold a meeting during the day, I think, is a bad thing and it is not a true voice of the people.
"We have a main post office that cannot cope – queuing is sometimes impossible and it is ludicrous to suggest that Linslade post office should close. Twelve thousand people depend on it, so the suggestion is absolutely crazy. We have organised a petition against the closure and people can still sign it at the store in New Road."
The residents' association has already handed one petition containing 2,000 signatures to MP Andrew Selous who highlighted their plight in Parliament on Tuesday.
Leighton-Linslade Town Mayor Cllr George Rolfe said: "Consideration must be given when deciding these closures to all the house building that is planned for Leighton and Linslade in the near future."
Cllr Peter Snelling was representing the Town Council's policy and finance committee. He expressed great concern that the main post office could not cope and he said the committee would oppose the closures.
"Out of the nine or ten serving positions, I have only seen four open at any time. Queues are out of the door some days and there aren't enough staff to cope. The situation is not helpful to the elderly or vulnerable. It will be total chaos in the main post office if the closures go ahead. Another 1,000 houses to the west of Linslade are planned, plus Linslade post office provides an important service to commuters as well as the population."
Cllr Snelling was also concerned that if the proposed post offices were saved, then others in the area would be shut despite not being previously considered.
Hockliffe Street's sub-postmaster K. Pararajasingam said: "I will be very sad for my customers if my post office closes. I have about 50 regular customers who rely on the service. This has been a post office for 80 years and a piece of Leighton's heritage will die.
"We are a very busy post office and shop; many elderly and disabled people and small businesses use it – we need it."
Patrick Allan from the independent consumer group Postwatch sympathised with everyone's concerns and urged them to take part in the consultation as there could be some flexibility or even a reprieve for well argued cases.
He said: "Post Office Ltd are keen to keep its customers. Therefore it is in their interest to supply somewhere for people to buy stamps etc with minimal inconvenience."
Philip Penman said: "Make your case for the post office heard."
Public consultation will run until August 26.
Send your letters to: National Consultation Team, Post Office Ltd, FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM, or email: consultation@postoffice.co.uk or phone 08457 22 33 44.
Letters can also be sent to: Allan Witherick, South Beds District Council, District Office, High Street North, Dunstable, Beds, LU6 1LF, or email: postoffice@southbeds.gov.uk
And: FREEPOST Postwatch, or email info@postwatch.co.uk or telephone 08456 013 265.
Deadlines for letters sent through the council are August 22, so evidence can be compiled.
Meanwhile, petitions can be signed at Linslade Post office in New Road, Hockliffe Street Post Office, Leighton, and the library in Lake Street.
You can also find out how to highlight the campaign against the closures by visiting Bedfordshire Rural Affairs Forum website on www.braf.org.uk and click on to the post office sign.
If you missed the Leighton meeting, another will be held on August 7, 5.30pm at South Bedfordshire District Council Offices, High Street North, Dunstable.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leighton Buzzard
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North
