Black-letter day for post offices

8:14am Tuesday 19th February 2008

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Eight post offices in Barnet have been earmarked for closure as the Government tries to save millions of pounds.

The cull was announced by the Post Office today, as part of a plan to shut one in five of London's 854 post offices.

A six-week public consultation on the proposals will take place before a final decision is made.

The Post Office is subsidised by the Government and the latest plans meet its criteria to tackle financial losses and falling customer numbers. The Government announced plans in May last year to close up to 2,500 post offices across the UK.

But Barnet's MPs have slammed the proposed closures.

Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers said: "My constituents are only just recovering from the last battle against the Post Office to close branches.

"Post offices are a vital part of our community. They provide the services people on lower incomes need. Travelling by bus to another post office is not only inconvenient, it can also be expensive. And it is no joke getting on a bus with a child's buggy."

Hendon MP Andrew Dismore described the closure of the Watford Way post office as "extremely shortsighted".

"With the development underway at Beaufort Park, and the other schemes planned for Colindale just across the A41, it is not rocket science to predict a substantial growth in the demand for post office services in the near future," he said.

Gordon Massey, of Barnet Residents' Association, believes the loss of the Dollis Valley Way branch represents a general decline in facilities in the area.

He added: "Many people will now incur costs travelling on the bus to other post offices, which is not fair when you're dealing with some of the most deprived people in the borough.

"There are a lot of deprived people who use the post office to get benefits - elderly people and mothers with small children."

Under the Government's criteria, 99 per cent of the population must live within three miles of a post office, and 90 per cent within one mile.

Anita Turner, the Post Office's network development manager for London, said: "Taking the decision to close any post office branch is always very difficult and we know it will concern many customers.

"We believe these proposals offer the best prospect for a sustainable way forward for post office services in London."

Neil Walsh, of the Communication Workers' Union, warned the closures would have a knock-on effect on main post offices.

He said: "The customers will have to go somewhere else and it will cause queues in the main post offices. This will put our workers under more pressure and it's not to the best advantage of customers."

The six-week consultation runs until April 2. To give your view, write to National Consultation Team at Post Office Ltd, FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM, or call 08457 22 33 44, or email your comments using the link on the post office website, www.postoffice.co.uk