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Loughborough Post Office Closures
Posted on 20/11/2007
P. Klein
Posted on 20th November 2007
P. Klein
About 20% of Loughboroughs Post Offices are to close if proposals go ahead.
The Post Office has today released details its proposals to change to the structure of post offices. The Programme will involve the compulsory compensated closure (subject to EU State Aid clearance) of up to 2,500 Post Office nationally " 3 of which effect Loughborough and the introduction of about 500 service points known as "Outreaches, one of which will be in Wymeswold to allegedly mitigate the impact of the proposed closures.
The Ashby Road post office, Ratcliffe Road post office on Meadow Lane and Walton Le Wolds post office are all looking at closure. Wymeswold will have an outreach service.
Historically post office branches have been located where the sub-postmaster has chosen to set up business, rather than as a result of a strategic decision by the Post Office. There are 14,300 post offices in the UK. 480 are Crown Post Offices owned by the Post Office. 13,820 post offices are operated by postmasters and mistresses as private businesses. However over the last decade post offices have seen a major change in customer needs. Many items normally associated with them, such as car tax, TV licensing and even buying stamps can now be done on the Internet. Other items however such as sending items Recorded Delivery or for sending a parcel cant be done in this fashion. Also there are still over 2,000,000 pensioners who collect their hard earned allowance in cash. Also the more vulnerable in society, the homeless or disabled for instance, who do not have access to internet home banking or find it difficult to travel will be hardest hit.
Nicky Morgan, prospective Conservative MP for Loughborough told inLoughborough:"The Labour Government already holds the record for closing Post Offices faster than any other and by the time of the next election they will have closed over one third of the entire Post Office network. Labour Ministers have 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. Whilst I am pleased that both Post Offices in Shepshed are to remain open I am concerned about the impact of these plans on Walton and Wymeswold where travelling to alternative branches is not straightforward. The Post Office could do so much more - offering a "one stop shop" for access to local services and advice and the Post Office Card Account could be made more flexible. These closures seem incredibly short sighted and everyone will be wondering where the next cuts will be. I would urge local residents to respond to this consultation which is open until 10th January 2008."
People have until the 10th January 2007 to make their comments regarding the closure plans. If you wish to make any comments you can be contacting the consultation team at: National Consultation Team, Post Office Ltd, FREEPOST CONSULTATION or Email: consultation@postoffice.co.uk, or telephone: 08457 22 33 44
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