CAMBRIDGE LABOUR RESPONSE TO CITY POST OFFICE CLOSURE CONSULTATION

05 July 2008

City Labour representatives have responded to news that three small Cambridge Sub-Post Offices are proposed for closure, subject to consultation over the summer

  • 33 Regent Street - opposite Downing College
  • 2a Trumpington Street - near the Judge Management Institute, and
  • St John's Post Office - beside Hills Road 6th Form College,

    • along with a larger number of rural Cambridgeshire Post Offices affected.

    Cambridge Labour's immediate plans on the closure proposals include carefully vetting the affected sites. Labour will examine each proposal, particularly in terms of accessibility for older and disabled people. Labour will also talk to local residents, users and sub-post masters.

    Labour also wants to see rural and potentially urban Post Office services delivered in different ways including combinations with council service delivery as is planned in Essex, and new links to community owned enterprises to ensure post office services continue in villages. Labour sees a major opportunity for new rural enterprises, which residents have a real stake in.

    On initial analysis of the three city sites affected, each

  • has fairly limited current usage including by local residents, though some use by students
  • has limited use by elderly or disabled people, but Labour will be checking this out
  • is some distance from main shops or local shopping centres, in relatively hard to access locations except very locally by foot or bicycle.

    • Daniel Zeichner, Cambridge Parliamentary Labour Candidate said "Our initial view is that while there are still issues on continuing rural Post Office services, the proposed city closures could have been a lot worse. But we will be investigating each of these three closures thoroughly."

    Deputy Cambridge City Labour Group Leader, Cllr Stuart Newbold added "Labour Councillors know that post office service delivery is a long term challenge and we want new and innovative solutions. Both Cambridge City Council and the County Council are key players here. But what we really need are new community and mutual ownership models developed, which involve the public in local delivery. New thinking is essential as part of a creative and robust long term strategy to retain Cambridgeshire Post Office services, linked to other rural services and shops."

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