Lib Dems fear more post offices will be Forced to close in Islington

12.00.00am GMT Tue 25th Nov 2003

Islington Liberal Democrats have found out that the Post Office are proposing a further wave of closures in Islington and are calling for the council to do an urgent scrutiny review of the planned closure programme. The move follows the closures of the Westbourne Road, Archway Road and Old Street branches, which the Lib Dems and local residents fought to save. The Post Office will now be launching further consultation on Post Office closures based around 'area plans' that will see Islington split into two. Islington North's consultation will be in November and December separately from Islington South's in April and May 2004. The Lib Dems have tabled a motion to council which calls for: The Post Office to consult Islington as a whole on any closures The Labour government and the Mayor to show their support for local post offices. The council to set up a scrutiny committee to look at the future of Islington's post offices. Liberal Democrat Councillor Bridget Fox, who tabled the motion, said: "The Lib Dems have fought alongside residents to save Islington's post offices. Now we find out that the Post Office plan to close even more. How many more will face the axe before Labour realise the damaging effect these closures will have. "Lib Dem Islington council has backed our post offices all the way - we've even given them more business by allowing tenants to pay their rent there. It's about time the Mayor of London and the Labour Government take a lesson from the Lib Dems and start supporting our post offices. "Sadly, the Post Office's 'consultation' has so far been a sham with residents' opposition to these closures being ignored. But the very least they can do now is consult on the impact closures will have across the borough not play 'divide and rule' between the north and the south of Islington. This is why we're calling for the council to hold a proper inquiry into the future of our Post Offices." The Motion To be moved by Councillor Bridget Fox, seconded by Councillor Laura Willoughby 1. Council believes that post offices are a vital part of urban communities, both for the services they directly provide, and as a focus for the community, and that the Council has consistently supported them, for example in the UDP and by allowing Council tenants to pay their rent through post offices and Is concerned that following the closure of post offices including Old Street and Westbourne Road, the Post Office is now proposing a further wave of closures, based around ëarea plansí on a constituency basis, that they will be consulting over Islington North in November and December, and Islington South and Finsbury in April and May next year, and regrets that they are not dealing with both together rather considering Islington as a whole, as users do Is concerned that local Councils are not being consulted earlier in the process, and that by the time area plans are published it will too late really to influence them reiterates its practical support for local post offices, and regrets that both the Government and the Mayor of London have not taken the opportunity to support them as well, the Government withdrawing business from them, and Ken Livingstone refusing to allow Congestion Charge payments to be made through Post offices. 2. Council therefore calls for: (i) the Post Office to consider the future of post offices in the whole of Islington together, and to consult the Council as early as possible in the process (ii) the Government and the Mayor of London to take concrete action to support local post offices (iii) the Overview Committee to set up a scrutiny inquiry into the future of local post offices as soon as possible