MP speaks out over Post Office concerns

Published on 8th November 2007 in News

Goole's MP has met Post Office managers to tell them what locals think about plans to reduce the service.

Consultation on proposals to close post offices - including Westfield Avenue - and change others - including Reedness - to an outreach service ends on Monday.

Ian Cawsey, MP for Goole and Brigg, said: "As soon as the Post Office announced their plans, they wrote to me to ask for my views on these proposals. I have been consulting in the affected areas and received hundreds of responses. Therefore, I asked the Post Office for a face-to-face meeting so I could go through these comments with them.

"In Goole there is strong support to keep the Westfield Avenue branch and some concern about the ability of Hedley Court to deal with all the business if they have to cope with what currently goes to two branches.

"There were also various concerns expressed about losing the convenience of the Westfield Avenue site and the need to go into the town centre every time a post office service is needed.

"In the Reedness area, the vast majority supported a post office service remaining in the village and many wanted it to be based in the local village shop to help keep that viable for the future. Also, people wanted to know how the proposed number of outreach hours per week had been calculated and what they would be.

"So, I was able to put these comments to the Post Office and to show them the responses I have received. Obviously they couldn't say what their final plans are, given that the consultation is ongoing.

"But they did agree to go away and look at the issues people had raised about the location of Westfield Avenue and they were able to tell me that as far as Reedness is concerned then outreach can be based in the local shop if an agreement can be reached to do so. I strongly encouraged them to do all they can to make this happen.

"They also said that the number of outreach hours is based on the count of the number of transactions per week in the current branch and that they can be flexible but their data does allow an analysis of what the busiest periods are.

"They also told me that if the numbers using the post office rises then the amount of outreach hours can be increased.

"I was very grateful to all the local people who responded to my request for local feedback on the consultation. I was able to show them all the replies and the comments that had been made and I think it means that they will have had many more local responses to their consultation than would otherwise have been the case. I hope they will take these views into consideration before making their final decisions."

Anyone wanting to comment on the proposals can write to: Adrian Wales, Network Development Manager, c/o National Consultation Team, Freepost Consultation Team by next Monday, November 12.