Axe knife-edge for post offices staff
STAFF at under-threat post offices were today nervously awaiting news about their futures.
It comes just 24 hours after The Gazette revealed Torsway Avenue post office in Layton has received notice to close.
The news shocked many who had campaigned hard to see it kept open after hailing the office “a vital community service”.
Local councillors also said the news would “devastate” the area’s elderly community, while Post Office bosses were slammed for not listening to local views during a six-week consultation period.
The remaining 11 at-risk Fylde branches – in South Shore, Bispham, Lytham, Fleetwood, Poulton, Cleveleys, Churchtown, Elswick, Catforth, Out Rawcliffe and Singleton – are now awaiting letters, with an official announcement expected by April 1.
Meanwhile, Post Office Ltd has just given an official response to The Gazette’s Stand up for Post Offices campaign.
More than 9,400 people signed petitions calling for the planned closure of 12 offices across Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre to be halted.
A letter from Post Office Ltd’s National Consultation Team states: “Post Office Ltd takes careful note of public petitions and respects their use as an expression of public feeling.
“We view the six-week public consultation as a very real and important opportunity for all interested parties to engage with us and let us know how our proposals impact on them – which will help and inform our final decision.
“I would, therefore, like to thank you for taking the time to collate and deliver the responses relating to our proposals.”
But the letter made no reference to the specific points raised by The Gazette, which expressed grave concerns about the impact of the closures on local communities across the coast.
Blackpool South MP, Gordon Marsden, today said he was to meet with Post Office minister, Pat McFadden, to discuss the closures – part of a nationwide plan to axe 2,500 offices as part of major cost cutting.
Mr Marsden came under-fire last Wednesday for failing to rebel against his own Labour Party and supporting a Conservative motion in the House of Commons.
The move called for the suspension of the closure programme.
But Mr Marsden says he is stepping up and not shirking efforts to safeguard post offices in his constituency.
He said: “I know people feel very strongly as do I about these proposals, and so, I’m glad the minister has agreed to meet with me to discuss them.
“I’ll be pressing him on the points I made in my strongly- worded letter to Post Office executives which I sent last month.”
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Weather for Blackpool
Monday 13 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 7 C
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