| City slams Post Office closures |
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| Written by Adrie van der Luijt | |
| Tuesday, 19 February 2008 | |
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Royal Mail has announced plans to close a fifth of all London post offices as part of proposed closure of 2,500 post offices across the UK.
The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, condemned plans to close 171 Post Offices in London. The Mayor confirmed he is considering a legal challenge by way of a judicial review regarding the consultation run by the Post Office. The Post Office's consultation opened on the 19th February 2008 and will close on the 2nd April 2008, just six weeks. The Mayor said he believed the Post Office's consultation period should be extended to at least 12 weeks. Cabinet Office guidance state that 12 weeks minimum is good practice for public consultations. The Mayor has previously highlighted the disproportionate effect of previous post office closures on the capital, the vital role of post offices for London's local economy and communities and the real impact of cuts on local communities and millions Londoners. Ken Livingstone said, "I have taken legal advice on the feasibility of a legal challenge to today's announcement that 171 Post Offices will be closing in London and the Post Office's consultation. The Post Office have said they will consult for just six weeks over the closure proposals rather than the normal 12 weeks which the Government recommends as a minimum." The City of London Corporation has launched an online petition and is urging the Square Mile’s 9,000 residents and 340,000 workers to voice their opposition to plans to close the office at 12-18 New Bridge Street, just yards from St Paul’s Cathedral. Five years ago there were eight Post Offices in the City. Currently there are only four operating in the Square Mile. These are in New Bridge Street, Moorgate, Broadgate Circle and Eastcheap. The Corporation said that there was considerable pressure on these four branches, with users complaining they can queue for around 45 minutes at peak times in at least one branch. Despite the shortage of Post Office capacity, Royal Mail has announced its intention to close the office at 12-18 New Bridge Street. In total it announced that is plans to close 169 branches and two main offices (Essex Road and Ludgate Circus) in the capital after a consultation period under its Network Change Programme. The proposed closure comes at a time when the City’s population is expected to grow to around 13,000 residents and 416,000 workers by 2016. Reflecting this, the City Corporation has been lobbying Royal Mail Group for an increase in its provision of Post Offices. Michael Snyder, chairman of policy and resources at the City of London Corporation, said that the number of Post Offices in the Square Mile was unacceptable and failed to meet the demands of City residents, small businesses and workers. “The City has a reputation which has been built upon delivering quality business support and world class services. Post Office provision is a key contributor to this. We are addressing this matter with Royal Mail at the highest level,” he added. Post Office Ltd is a separate company within and part of the Royal Mail Group that runs 14,300 Post Office branches across the country. The firm claims to be the largest retail and financial services chain in the UK, bigger than all of the UK’s banks and building societies put together. Related articles
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