Seven post offices to close

9:30am Thursday 8th May 2008

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SEVEN post offices in the borough will close despite a desperate bid from thousands of residents to save them.

Post Office Ltd announced yesterday (Wednesday) that all but one of the branches in Ealing scheduled for closure would be shutting, some as early as next month.

The Bollo Bridge Road branch has been saved for further consideration, while one of the branches on the fringe of the borough in Starch Green has been handed a reprieve. The closures mean nearly a quarter of the 36 branches in the borough will shut.

Across the whole of London, 155 branches have been targeted for closure.

The move comes as a blow for many elderly residents and small businesses, who now face long treks to their nearest branches - and longer queues when they get there.

Andy Slaughter MP (Lab, Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush), who faced losing the most branches of any MP in the capital in his constituency, has seen three branches in the Shepherd's Bush area saved.

He said: "I spoke to Post Office Ltd on Tuesday and they said they could not make up their minds on the Bollo Bridge Road branch.

"In Hammersmith and Fulham eight branches were earmarked for closure and five of them have now stayed open, but this does not seem to have extended to Ealing.

"They accepted our argument about deaf, disabled and elderly people not being able to access services in Starch Green, but they have ignored the same arguments for the Boileau Parade office. We will be looking at the possibility of a judicial review on that decision."

Richard Barnes AM (Con, Ealing and Hillingdon), the newly-appointed deputy mayor of London, branded the six week consultation a sham.

He said: "There is no way the Post Office can have looked at all the responses before they made their minds up, this consultation was a sham.

"The sad thing is it's the people who are least able to get to another branch who will miss them the most. These post offices are at the heart of communities, and their closure is potentially devastating."

Ealing Council has been looking into the possibility of funding some of the branches earmarked for closure and providing council services from them.

Coucillor Jason Stacey, leader of Ealing Council, said: "I think most people will probably not be surprised by the outcome, as many people had serious reservations as to whether it was a genuine consultation.

"I bet the majority of responses were in favour of keeping the branches, and I challenge the post office to produce more than three letters per branch supporting the closure."

Post Office Ltd claimed the system of closures would leave seven million Londoners within a mile of their nearest branch.

Anita Turner, Post Office Ltd's network development manager for London, said: "These are difficult decisions which have not been taken lightly.

"We have considered very carefully all the comments made during the public consultation. We believe that the amended plan announced today offers our customers in London the best prospect for a sustainable network in the future."

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