Richard welcomes the announcement that Kings Norton Green Post Office will remain open
Richard has today welcomed the decision by Post Office Ltd not to close the post office on The Green in Kings Norton.
On 24 June Post Office Ltd published a review of the number of post offices in Birmingham, as part of a national programme called Network Change. This review proposed a number of post offices for closure – including The Green in Kings Norton and Middlemore Road in Northfield.
However, following a strong campaign from local residents and a joint submission (available online here) to the public consultation by Richard, Selly Oak MP Lynne Jones (www.lynnejones.org.uk) and local community representatives, the branch has been given the go-ahead to continue operating as normal.
Middlemore Road Post Office in Northfield had also been proposed for closure under the plans. Both MPs have been working with local residents, the Chair of the Council’s Northfield Constituency Committee and the sub-postmaster at Middlemore Road to call on Post Office Ltd to reconsider its proposal (submission available online here). Unfortunately Post Office Ltd has decided to proceed with the closure of Middlemore Road Post Office.
In response to Post Office Ltd’s announcement, Richard said:
‘It is fantastic news that The Green Post Office will remain open. Over the last few months Lynne Jones and I have been working with the local community to get their voice heard. I am pleased that today Post Office Ltd has confirmed that they received the message loud and clear. The case we put to them showed they had some serious thinking to do. I am pleased that they have listened and come to the right decision that The Green Post Office should not be closed.’
‘It is, of course, very disappointing that Post Office Ltd has announced it intends to proceed with the closure of Middlemore Road. I have said all along that Post Office Ltd has got some difficult decisions to make – but I am still not convinced that they have made the right decision about this closure.
‘Middlemore Road Post Office provides an important service to the community – especially to disabled and older customers who live nearby. The alternative post office branches are simply not as accessible as Post Office Ltd hopes – as seen in a DVD we showed to Post Office Ltd highlighting the graphic reality of a wheelchair user trying to get to Tessall Post Office.
‘This closure has thrown up a wider issue of the difficulties people with mobility problems have in accessing public transport in Northfield. This will certainly need to be addressed if the closure goes ahead and I will continue to campaign with local residents to make sure that elderly and vulnerable people can access local transport and continue to access local post office facilities.’
