Save local post offices - update

Our campaign to save our local post offices is nearing its final week, and I wanted both to update you and thank the many hundreds of people who have helped already.

As you will know, 6 post offices in Kingston are under threat, as part of Labour’s plan to close 2,500 post offices across Britain.

Our first public meeting when we cross-questioned representatives from Post Office Limited was very successful, as local residents pointed out various factual errors in the consultation documents and explain how damaging the closures would be to our community.

Our next meeting is Thursday 20th March at 7pm at St.Joseph’s school by the Fairfield in Kingston – all welcome.

Judging from our first meeting, the Post Office managers took most notice of issues such as ease of access – including how close an office is to the nearest bus stop and how easy it is to park nearby – and the capacity of the “alternative” post offices to cope with the extra business. However, the more local and the more unique the issue is to any of the threatened post offices, the stronger it will make our case.

Be prepared to be frustrated by some of their responses, though. When I questioned them about the impact on the long queues already common at the post offices that would survive, they had no information on queueing times.

There is still time to sign our petition. You can also leave comments there about how the post office closing will affect you, your family and your neighbours, and I will add all these to my final submission.