But bad news for Churchfield Road PO
Following a six-week public consultation, the Post Office has announced decisions on the future of branches across London. The plan confirmed yesterday (May 7th) means that 155 branches, including the sub Post Office on Churchfield Road, will close in London with the first closures scheduled to take place from June 2008.
The announcements come amid continuing disagreements between local politicians over the closures.
Seven branches originally proposed for closure including those on Shepherds Bush Road and Askew Road will now remain open following a review of the issues raised during consultation.
Commenting on the outcome of Post Office Limited’s consultation, local MP Andy Slaughter said: "This is a good result, especially in Shepherds Bush and Hammersmith. To save five of eight threatened branches, when only seven in total have been reprieved in London is a great achievement. It shows what the community can achieve by working together in a coordinated and organised way."
The proposal to close the Bollo Bridge Road branch is currently under further review after Bassam Mahfouz, Labour candidate for Ealing and Acton, ran an effective campaign there.
Full details of the decisions and the issues raised during local public consultation are available by visiting www.postoffice.co.uk/networkchange or by writing to Post Office Ltd at Freepost Consultation Team (no stamp needed) or by emailing consultation@postoffice.co.uk.
During the six week local public consultation, Post Office Ltd received around 27,600 responses and attended 79 meetings with customers and their representatives. Anita Turner, Post Office Ltd's Network Development Manager for London, said, "These are difficult decisions which have not been taken lightly. We have considered very carefully all the comments made during the public consultation. We believe that the amended plan announced today offers our customers in London the best prospect for a sustainable network in the future, bearing in mind the Government's minimum access criteria and the other factors the Government has asked us to consider.
On the subject of Churchfield Road Post Office, Andy Slaughter said: "It is a great shame that PO Ltd wish to pursue this closure. They have not answered the points about poor service and long queues at the Acton Crown Office. They should not be considering closure here at least until they have sorted those problems out."
He continued: "The only sour note of the past three months was the attempt by local Conservatives to break the all and non-party coalition to try and score political points. I think they had their fingers burnt over this when residents realised that what they were offering in place of a reduced but viable network was no network at all. But it was unhelpful in wasting time and diverting us from our central goal of keeping post offices open."
Angie Bray, Conservative candidate for Ealing and Acton expressed her disgust at the closure of Churchfield Road Post Office: "This is a real slap in the face for Ealing and Acton and shows just what a sham the consultation process was. Gordon Brown keeps telling us that he’s listening, but today’s announcement proves that he has learnt nothing.
"For mothers with young children, the elderly, the disabled and other vulnerable groups, the closures announced today will have a very real and serious effect. But what really sticks in people’s throats is the sight of Labour Cabinet Ministers and MPs, including our own local MP, scurrying around their constituencies telling us they support their post offices, before going back to Westminster and voting for their closure."
Arun Taank, who runs Churchfield Road Post Office, told us he had received the letter to say he must close, but does not yet know when. "I will be really sad to close. I've spent 32 years of my life here. I will miss my regular customers."
May 8, 2008