Local residents are being urged to join a campaign against plans to shut
another TWO local Post Office branches - on top of the Crown Post Office
closure in Essex Road.<br><br>Poposals made public for the first time today
show Islington could lose Post Offices at 492 and 100 Caledonian Road as part
of the Government's national closures programme.<br><br>The announcement comes
as Islington is still reeling from another blow to local services. Just last
month, Post Offices Ltd announced the closure of the Crown Post Office in
Essex Road as part of their plan to franchise 70 branches to WH Smith stores.
<br><br>Cllr Terry Stacy, Deputy Leader of Islington Council and Executive
Member for Housing and Communities, said that the situation 'beggared
belief'.<br><br>Cllr Stacy said: "It's a fact that Post Office closures
directly impact elderly, disabled and vulnerable people. Islington is home to
some of the most deprived communities in the UK - some of which are in the
vicitiny of Caledonian Road - and yet in the space of two months, our
residents have been told they are to lose three branches. It's an
outrage.<br><br>"People in Islington have lost access to no less than 10 Post
Offices in the last few years, and we already have people queuing out of the
door at the branches we have left. If this goes ahead, Post Offices will
become even busier than they already are, with longer queues, and people will
have to travel further to find a branch in the first place. What's the point
in encouraging people to leave the car at home, if local services are being
moved further away from their doorsteps?"<br><br>Post Offices Ltd announced
the plans for Islington closures today. This announcement is now followed by a
six week consultation period, during which time the council wants local
residents to have their say.<br><br>Cllr Stacy said: "We're writing to the
Government to raise our concerns about their plans - and we're making it easy
for residents to make their views known too. Hundreds of local residents have
already written to us to support our campaign, and now we're launching an
online petition on our website, www.islington.gov.uk. We'll collect all the
responses we receive and take them to the Government on behalf of local
residents."<br><br>ENDS
Page Last Updated: 17 December 2009