Protests ignored as Post Office axe falls (From Malvern Gazette)

Protests ignored as Post Office axe falls

9:53am Friday 31st October 2008

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DESPITE protests from thousands of residents Post Office Ltd has signed the death warrant for branches in and around Malvern.

An official announcement on Wednesday (October 29) revealed there would be no reprieve for branches at Link Top, Poolbrook and Hanley Castle.

Branches at Upper Welland and Callow End will also close, to be replaced by outreach services.

The businesses were earmarked for closure as part of a nationwide programme of network cuts.

During a six-week region-wide public consultation Post Office Ltd received more than 3,700 responses from concerned customers, while a petition to retain the Link Top branch attracted 1,400 signatures.

However of 54 branches earmarked for closure across Herefordshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands, only one branch in Walsall will remain open, with a branch in nearby Brownhills set to close in its place.

District and county councillor Tom Wells said the entire process had left a ‘bitter taste in the mouth’.

“It is very disappointing that the Post Office seems to have completely ignored the very strong representations made by local residents and the district council,” he said. “This appears to have been a phoney consultation process, with no apparent requirement of the Post Office to listen to local people.”

Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Richard Burt said the response was “almost inevitable”.

“It’s now clear the Post Office had no intention of changing their mind,” he said. “Thousands of people put their efforts into trying to save their local post office and they can be excused for asking if there was any point.”

West Worcestershire MP Sir Michael Spicer said: “It calls into question the whole process of consultation, although it has to be said that the Post Office have been working entirely to the orders of the Government. It is they who must take the blame for this decision.”

Hanley Castle postmistress Jackie Woodwiss has been at her branch for 32 years. She said the decision was devastating for herself and residents.

“This is altering the way of life in the community. Our residents have shown how they feel through all their support and all the letters they have sent in,” she said. “Unfortunately I don’t think there is anything else that anybody can do. I am very sad that it is ending like this.”

Poolbrook and Hanley Castle will close within a month, while Link Top will remain open until after Christmas, despite postmaster Gurdial Virdee facing a reduced compensation payment for doing so.

“We are very disappointed at this decision, particularly for the customers,” said Mr Virdee. “There is a lot of frustration and anger at this decision, and I don’t think the Post Office had any intention of changing its mind.

“We have taken the option of remaining open until late January. Coming up to Christmas the last thing we want to do is to put that added burden on to our customers.”

Mr Virdee added that the newsagent and pharmacy that share the post office premises would be unaffected by the closure.

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