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Eight post offices doomed
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| All eight post offices threatened with closure in Barnet borough will shut before August |
All eight of the post offices under threat in the borough of Barnet are doomed to close, despite a fierce campaign to save them.
The decision has been met with outrage and disappointment by MPs, councillors and postmasters across the borough.
Eight post offices earmarked for closure:
- Dollis Valley Way, Barnet
- Potters Road, Barnet
- Cricklewood Lane, Cricklewood
- Pennine Parade, Cricklewood
- Nether Street, Finchley
- East End Road, Finchley
- 435 High Road, Finchley
- Watford Way, Hendon
The branches will close by August at the latest, after calls from thousands of residents to prevent the cull went unheard.
Councillor Brian Coleman, cabinet member for community engagement, said: "Barnet has been absolutely stuffed and closing all the branches under threat will grossly inconvenience the elderly, vulnerable and damage our communities.
"The blame lies squarely at the door of the Labour minister who sealed the fate of these offices last year."
Only seven post offices originally on the list of 169 branches earmarked for closure in London will remain open.
The Government ordered the closures in a bid to cut the £4 million losses made by post offices each year.
Bakul Joshi, sub-postmaster at the Nether Street branch, believes the community will be severely affected by the closure of his branch.
"The public is very much against it and people will have to suffer the hassle and hardship to go to another branch," he said.
"I feel let down. Post Watch and the Government doesn't seem to have taken any notice.
"It has been my business for more than 20 years and now I will have to start again."
Robert Winton, of the Finchley Society, is worried about the effect of five closures in and around the Finchley area.
He said: "It is about quality of life and people, especially the elderly, have got used to having the service nearby but now they will have to go elsewhere."
Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers said: "I am hugely disappointed and really angry that the Government has pushed ahead with this.
"Some of the shops will find it much tougher to continue without the post offices to help bring people out to our high streets."
Hendon MP Andrew Dismore felt the closures were inevitable, but was disappointed with the outcome.
He said: "We made the best case we could for the Hendon branch but it is a shame that the Post Office has made the decision it has."
Anita Turner, the Post Office's network development manager for London, said: "These are difficult decisions which have not been taken lightly.
"We believe the amended plan offers our customers in London the best prospect for a sustainable network in the future."
2:23pm Wednesday 7th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: john lambert, east sussex on 7:49pm Wed 7 May 08
Crazy,I used to live near the Nether Street branch and it was always busy.I was a postman in Finchley and all the offices due for closure were always busy.We had the same in Seaford,despite petitions etc and the council trying to take over the Post office still closed our offices listed and saved none.Protests were a waste of time!
Crazy,I used to live near the Nether Street branch and it was always busy.I was a postman in Finchley and all the offices due for closure were always busy.We had the same in Seaford,despite petitions etc and the council trying to take over the Post office still closed our offices listed and saved none.Protests were a waste of time!
Posted by: dadshedz, london on 11:21pm Wed 7 May 08
why have this sham consultation, why waste peoples precious time thinking they might be listened to, PO Ltd and Postwatch are deaf and blind,stop this insincere phoney process now, admit there is little that will change your minds,all the following are ignored, proving how innacurate your Branch Access Reports are, the unfair uneven spread of closures, the lack of consultation with alternative offices forced to take on the extra business, perhaps Post Office Ltd and Postwatch should look up the english meaning of consultation "seek information or advice" neither are of interest to them,
despite all the errors, understatements, overstatements
clustering of closures, Petitions, local campaigns, and letters. This is not a consultation,
this really is a sham
endoresed and supported by the Labour Government, I hope they can all sleep well in their beds knowing the extra problems they have caused the poor, disabled, infirm and elderly having to travel greater distances to post offices that often will be difficult to get to, crowded and forced to wait in longer queues, shame on all of you.
why have this sham consultation, why waste peoples precious time thinking they might be listened to, PO Ltd and Postwatch are deaf and blind,stop this insincere phoney process now, admit there is little that will change your minds,all the following are ignored, proving how innacurate your Branch Access Reports are, the unfair uneven spread of closures, the lack of consultation with alternative offices forced to take on the extra business, perhaps Post Office Ltd and Postwatch should look up the english meaning of consultation "seek information or advice" neither are of interest to them,
despite all the errors, understatements, overstatements
clustering of closures, Petitions, local campaigns, and letters. This is not a consultation,
this really is a sham
endoresed and supported by the Labour Government, I hope they can all sleep well in their beds knowing the extra problems they have caused the poor, disabled, infirm and elderly having to travel greater distances to post offices that often will be difficult to get to, crowded and forced to wait in longer queues, shame on all of you.
Posted by: Ms. Leiann Webster, Manchester on 10:02pm Thu 8 May 08
Can anyone tell me which Post Offices are due to be closed?
Cheers
Can anyone tell me which Post Offices are due to be closed?
Cheers
Posted by: Times Series on 8:29am Fri 9 May 08
The list of closures is now in the article above. Thanks for your comment.
The list of closures is now in the article above. Thanks for your comment.
Posted by: Eat the Rich, Finchley on 10:34am Fri 9 May 08
Which High Road Finchley Branch (there are two). So that leaves only 1 post office open in the whole area of tens of thousands of people?? (and the one in the middle of nowhere in Friern Barnet). The last time I was at the one at Tally-Ho Corner (which is the one I assume is remaining open) there was a queue out the door! This place is really going to sh%$, maybe they could replace the closed post offices with some more half-way houses? Hows that for a plan?
Which High Road Finchley Branch (there are two). So that leaves only 1 post office open in the whole area of tens of thousands of people?? (and the one in the middle of nowhere in Friern Barnet). The last time I was at the one at Tally-Ho Corner (which is the one I assume is remaining open) there was a queue out the door! This place is really going to sh%$, maybe they could replace the closed post offices with some more half-way houses? Hows that for a plan?
Posted by: Paul, Hadley on 9:53pm Fri 9 May 08
My local post office is going to close and surprise surprise the local politicians are making as much political capitol out of it as possible:
The Conservatives have delivered two leaflets on the subject, talked to a few people saying they’re outraged and put out two press releases. They achieved nothing but at least it didn’t look blatantly like they were making capitol out of our misfortune and they did do exactly what they said they would.
The Liberals have put out one leaflet and no press releases. They achieved nothing and failed to keep the promises that they made: it just looks like they were taking us for suckers.
The Labour party made no promises and are responsible for this whole mess in the first place.
The Green Party just would not be interested.
My local post office is going to close and surprise surprise the local politicians are making as much political capitol out of it as possible:
The Conservatives have delivered two leaflets on the subject, talked to a few people saying they’re outraged and put out two press releases. They achieved nothing but at least it didn’t look blatantly like they were making capitol out of our misfortune and they did do exactly what they said they would.
The Liberals have put out one leaflet and no press releases. They achieved nothing and failed to keep the promises that they made: it just looks like they were taking us for suckers.
The Labour party made no promises and are responsible for this whole mess in the first place.
The Green Party just would not be interested.
Posted by: MG, Barnet on 10:35am Sat 10 May 08
I am absolutely livid. This is the latest in a long line of governmental decisions that compromise the quality of life of UK tax-paying residents. We are hurtling towards an Orwellian dystopia and no-one is doing a f*cking thing about it!
I am absolutely livid. This is the latest in a long line of governmental decisions that compromise the quality of life of UK tax-paying residents. We are hurtling towards an Orwellian dystopia and no-one is doing a f*cking thing about it!
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