Post Office closure plans condemned
December 13, 2006 7:24 PM
News that 2500 post offices are to close has been met with anger by Barry Stamp, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Stafford Borough Council. Barry said he was appalled that many rural communities again faced the prospect of losing their post offices which were a lifeline to many people who cannot travel to the nearest town branch.
"Staffordshire is still reeling from the loss of a number of sub-post offices a couple of years ago, and many residents must now face the prospect of further offices closing. The Government is saying that fewer people are now using their post office as more transactions are done on-line or by telephone. However what they fail to say is that over the past few years they themselves have reduced the number of services that are available at post offices by having pensions and child benefit paid directly into bank accounts, and transferring TV and driving licence and passport renewals to the Internet and other means. No wonder fewer people use the post office now! "
"What is needed is a recognition that local post offices play a vital part in their communities and everything should be done to keep them open. I believe more flexibility should be given to post masters to allow them to develop their businesses as they see fit, rather than tying them down with regulations and red tape. The present plan is extremely short-sighted, and will only result in local communities being made to suffer. Closing local post offices will hit the elderly, the young, and mothers with young children hard. For many people travelling to a post office some distance away is not an option and it is these people who will be the hardest hit."
" We must do everything we can to fight this plan, and I would urge everyone to take part in the consultation process and let the Government know the strength of feeling there is against this proposal," said Barry.
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