Axe falls on 24 East Lancs post offices

10:20am Tuesday 1st April 2008

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POLITICIANS have slammed the decision to axe 24 East Lancashire post offices and claimed bosses had 'no intention' of listening to people's concerns.

Today's announcement that branches earmarked for closure would not get a reprieve prompted anger among those who had campaigned against plans to shut them.

Despite receiving around 3,000 responses and attending 23 meetings with customers during the six-week consultation period, the Post Office chose to go ahead with the cutbacks in the face of mass opposition.

The decision came after bosses said they felt petitions "carried no real weight".

The Lancashire Telegraph had run a Save Our Post Office Campaign and we handed over petitions with 1,500 signatures.

MPs said the decision to forge ahead with the closures showed that the consultation process - which began on January 22 - had been 'a pointless' exercise.

Pendle Labour MP, Gordon Prentice, expressed his disgust at the announcement.

Mr Prentice, who voted against his government in a commons motion brought by the Conservatives calling for the closure programme to be scrapped, said: "I wanted to see a continuing subsidy for our Post Office branches with the amount publicised locally so people would feel an obligation to use their local branch."

Nigel Evans, Conservative MP for Ribble Valley, said: "Even after the consultation period nothing seems to have changed, but I will fight to try and save our rural post offices.

"We are now going to look at ways we can appeal against the closures."

Other East Lancashire Labour MPs were criticised last month for either abstaining or voting against the Conservative's proposal, despite speaking out against the closures locally.

But Greg Pope, Labour MP for Hyndburn, who voted with the government, said the decision to close the branch in Longshoot, Haslingden, was particularly unwarranted.

He said: "I am bitterly disappointed and outraged about the closure of Longshoot.

"I had a petition with 804 names on it campaigning against the closure, yet the Post Office claimed there were few responses. They did not listen to our concerns.

"I don't think the consultation has been properly conducted."

Burnley MP Kitty Ussher, who abstained from the vote, said: "I am very disappointed that Post Office bosses have made this decision. I believe that working together with the affected communities we put forward a very strong case to retain those Post Office branches."

" I do not think that on this occasion they have listened and they have not adequately answered all my concerns. I believe we have strong grounds for appeal in at least three cases and I will review the others."

Richard Lynds, Post Office Ltd's Network development manager north west, said the decision to close the branches had not been taken lightly.

He said: "We have considered very carefully all the comments made during the public consultation."

In total, 56 branches have been axed across Lancashire, Fylde and Southport as the Government seeks to stave off losses of £4m-a-week on the network.