Post Offices: 'consultation pointless' (From Witney Gazette)

Post Offices: 'consultation pointless'

7:25am Monday 5th May 2008

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COMMUNITIES around Oxfordshire feel their voices have not been heard as all 22 of the county's at-risk post offices look set to close.

MP Ed Vaizey, who had previously revealed details of the branches set for closure, said he had been contacted by the Post Office who disclosed that none of the Oxfordshire post offices on the list had been saved from the axe.

'People will be absolutely furious. I don't think the Post Office listened to people's genuine pleas'

Ed Vaizey MP

Mr Vaizey described the news as a "tremendous slap in the face" for campaigners who fought to keep their local post offices open and comes ahead of an official announcement on closures tomorrow.

A campaign to save the county's post offices saw a 6,000-signature petition and 150 letters of opposition handed in to 10 Downing Street.

A separate petition of 11,000 names was also sent to managers during the six-week consultation process.

Postmistress Dian Harvey of Iffley Post Office, in Church Way, Oxford, said: "There was no point in even having a consultation.

"They obviously had to look like they were listening but, if they don't even save one post office, then what was it all for? The implications for this community will be devastating."

Raj Prasad, postmaster of Grandpont Post Office, in Abingdon Road, Oxford, said: "There has been so much support from the community, writing letters and with the petition. We had hoped to show that people wanted to keep the post office going.

"This is very sad news, not just for me but for the whole community, and I'm not sure how people are going to take it. We provide a service for a lot of elderly people here, who will now be forced to go elsewhere."

Elizabeth Burridge, 85, a resident of Pegasus Grange home, in Whitehouse Road, said: "There are about 120 people with an average age of roughly 80 at the Pegasus. What are we expected to do now? This is awful news for us."

Caroll Bishop, 45, of Lake Street said: "It's just a real shame that they haven't paid any attention to the fact so many people wanted this post office to stay open."

Alex Kerr, 63, of Newton Road, also a regular customer, said: "I think this is very bad news. This post office is one that is well used by the local community and the service is excellent."

At Carterton's Stanmore Cresecent Post Office, postmistress Wanda Huggett said she received her letter informing her of the closure on Saturday morning.

She said: "I've been at this post office for the past 18 years and now I've got to go out and get myself a new job now. I'm a single mum and I need to support my family."

A spokesman for the Post Office said: "We plan on making a formal announcement tomorrow and we are not going to speculate ahead of that."

However, Mr Vaizey the Conservative MP for Wantage and Didcot said: "I can confirm that all 22 post offices are set to close.

"I was contacted by the Post Office who told me all branches in my constituency would close along with the 17 other in Oxfordshire.

"People will be absolutely furious. I don't think the Post Office listened to people's genuine pleas."

The Post Office wants to close 2,500 branches across the UK to cut losses of £4m a week.

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