Over 200 local residents joined in the protest march to save Wellington Hill West Post Office, and post offices across Bristol on Saturday.
Together, we marched from The Beehive Pub to rally outside Wellington Hill West Post Office, which despite being one of the busiest branches in the area, is threatened with closure.
Then we went on to march up Henleaze Road to form the longest post office queue Bristol has ever seen outside Henleaze Road post office, to illustrate:
1. How difficult it will be for the elderly and disabled to make it to the next nearest post office. ( I like to think of myself as a pretty energetic type, but it WAS a bit of a walk!)
2. The chaos at Henleaze Road Post Office at busy times like the run up to Christmas.
Many older residents told me that they were sorry but they wouldn't actually be able to make it all the way up to Henleaze Road Post Office since it was too far for them to be able to walk - which tragically proves the point.
It was really disappointing to see that Doug Naysmith MP, representing the local Labour party voted in favour of the closures in a recent debate in the House of Commons - but local people have made their voice heard as strongly as they can: Post Offices matter - for residents, for local business, for the community. It is wrong to close them down - particularly when sub-postmasters are ready, willing and able to make their small business more viable. But the Government and Post Office Ltd. seem determined not to let them make a go of it, but to axe them instead.
The consultation closes on April 9th. I am submitting a full report together with over 1000 signatures and comments from local people against the closure. We'll have to await the verdict of Post Office ltd which will be announced in a few weeks - but a huge thanks to all those residents who came out in force to oppose the closures. We really have done everything we can.
ps. If you're wondering about that big white envelope thing in the corner of the picture - it's a stiff letter to Post Office Ltd. - On cardboard... (groan now.)
1 comment:
When the Conservatives were in power they refused to subsidise the post offices. They closed thousands of them.
Even now the Tories are refusing to say they would make any subsidy, let alone match the government's subsidy levels. This would mean the closure of most of the PO network. It's therefore hyper-opportunistic (at best) and downright hypocritical (at worst) for the Conservatives to be pretending to be post office champions. They're anything but!
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