Consulting on Post Office Closures

Written by Vincent Cable MP and published in Informer on Thu 9th Jan 2003

Just before Christmas the Post Office gave me notice it was proposing to close permanently two of the local branches in my constituency – one on Kew Green and one on the Lower Mortlake Road.

The Post Office is "consulting" on this – but only until January 20th, giving local people almost no time to respond.

I am really upset about this and not only about the ridiculously short consultation period. If the Post Office is closing two branches in Kew, how many more branches are they going to close?

Is this the beginning of a wholesale programme of closures? I realise there are plenty of places to buy stamps, but what are people supposed to do if they want to post a parcel?

As I write, the pavements outside my constituency office are like glass and the temperature around freezing. Does the Post Office really expect elderly customers to undertake long bus journeys in this weather?

Even before the snow my constituents were telling me of their distress. What used to be a quick trip to the local post office will now be a major expedition, taking up most of the morning!

The Post Office quotes falling customer numbers, increased running costs and the move to pay benefits into people's bank accounts rather than by passbook over the counter.

I have asked for the figures for the past three years for both the branches they are proposing to close. I want to see if this argument stands up.

They claim the closures will be "in the best interests of all our customers". It seems a funny way of serving customers to me.