“Labour’s Post Office cuts will strike a hammer blow to local communities and community life.”
Telford residents have reacted with dismay to the news that the Government will be announcing Post Office closures in Telford on the 1st April. It is estimated that another four Post Offices may be closed in the town, which is on top of the five that have already closed since 1999.
Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman, Tom Biggins, is horrified at the prospect of the latest round of government cuts which will see the continued destruction of a once vibrant Post Office network in the area. He has pledged to oppose the closures and has prepared a major campaign to save Telford’s remaining Post Offices with a petition, public meetings and a series of action days planned.
Across the country, 4,000 Post Offices - a quarter of the network - have already been closed. A further 2,500 are expected to be shut down by 2009 as part of another round of closures.
Tom Biggins said: “I am appalled at the prospect of further Post Office closures in Telford. Since 1999 we have lost five post offices, including those at Dawley Bank, Lawley Village and Ketley Bank.
“No one knows yet where the axe will fall, but I am fearful that even more local communities in the area will lose a vital local facility and vulnerable people will lose a service they depend upon. I am determined to fight these plans and minimise the closures which are bound to strike a severe hammer blow to community life. Any further cut to the Post office network in Telford is intolerable”
“The sooner we start fighting to protect our Post Offices, the better. As a County Councillor, I have already proposed a motion at Shirehall that received unanimous backing that Shropshire County Council will do everything in its power to resist the closure plans. Likewise, Telford and Wrekin Council are equally determined to oppose closures.
“Please sign my petition as soon as possible and make your views known.”
Tom’s website petition can be completed at www.tombiggins4telford.com. Petition forms can also be obtained by from Telford Conservative Association office - Tel. 01952 253473 (Email: toriesintelford@ukonline.co.uk).
Tom pointed out: “The labour government already holds the record for closing Post Offices faster than any other and has taken no account of the needs of the elderly, of disabled people, or of the most disadvantaged – the very ones who will lose out most as this cuts programme rolls out.
“People often walk to their Post Office in their local centre. But no one is going to walk two or four miles further if these closures go ahead. At a time when politicians should be providing more local services, encouraging people to be travel less and to ease global warming, I fear this Government plan will be forcing Telford people to travel more by car and bus just to get to the Post Office.
“Conservatives will be campaigning hard against the latest programme of Post Office cuts. I hope to see as many people as possible signing our petition and coming along to our action days.”
- ends -
Notes to Editor:
- Closure programme: Post Office Ltd will be looking to close between 12% and 15% of Sub Post Offices within the Telford area. The review process started formally on 14th January 2008, ahead of a public consultation which runs for six weeks between 1st April and 9th June. Announcements of any closures are expected on 1st July with closures taking effect from 29th July 2008.
Post Office Closures: What YOU should know
- Labour holds the record for closing Post Offices faster than any other Government -almost 10 a week since 1997.
- 4,000 Post Offices have already closed under Labour - that’s a quarter of the country’s Post Office network.
- The Government’s announcement that it will shut down a further 2,500 Post Offices will continue to decimate the network; by the time of the next election, Gordon Brown will have closed down a third of the entire Post Office network.
- The target that the Government has set for closures is arbitrary and illogical, taking no account of whether a Post Office marked for closure is profitable or not.
- Countless communities will lose their only shop and vulnerable people will lose a service they depend upon. Ministers have taken no account of the needs of the elderly, of the disabled, or of the most disadvantaged - the very ones who will lose out most.
- As few as 4,000 of Britain’s 14,300 Post Offices may survive Labour’s decade.
What the Conservatives would do
- Push for more Post Offices to be ‘One Stop Shops’ - trained staff could then advise on a range of matters, including tax returns, pension entitlements, opening hours and so on.
- Encourage local Councils to open ‘Council Counters’ in local branches.
- Allow the Post Office to work with carriers other than the Royal Mail.
- Prevent the Royal Mail taking business away from sub-Post Offices by under-cutting the prices they can charge for postage.
- Give sub-Post Offices more freedom to offer a wider range of business services.
Further information from:
Tom Biggins, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Telford - Email. tom@tombiggins4telford.com
