Post office petitions could be ignored by bosses

4:35pm Wednesday 26th December 2007

By Lawrence Marzouk

Thousands of people who have signed petitions against post office closures could be ignored, it has been claimed.

As consultations on 49 threatened branches in Sussex came to a close on Christmas eve, it emerged that each petition could be counted as just one letter of opposition.

David Lepper, the MP for Brighton Pavilion, said the decision was an insult to the thousands who had put their names to petitions and has written to Post Office Ltd asking for clarification.

The Argus contacted the company to ask whether the allegation was true but a spokesman refused to confirm or deny it.

He said: "We would encourage people to write explaining reasons why a post office should stay open.

As part of his fight to save Brighton's post offices Mr Lepper has presented a 1,540 signature petition about Elm Grove post office, a petition with 1,120 signatures about the 221 Preston Road branch and a petition with 1,370 signatures about 13 Preston Road.

A further 750 people have signed a Green party petition to save Trafalgar Street post office.

But despite the 4,780 names collected to fight the closure of these branches, Post Office Ltd looks likely to record these as just four objections.

Mr Lepper was informed of the problem after a post office representative told people at a meeting earlier this month in Brighton each petition would count as one objection.

He said: "I hope that is a misunderstanding. That people are willing to sign a petition is a sign of their concern and signatures and addresses on a petition should be taken as responses as part of the consultation in the terms of the petition from each individual signatory.

"There is no indication in the consultation leaflets from the Post Office Ltd that petitions would be considered as just one objection - indeed to do so would be an insult to all those who have taken the trouble to sign a petition and seriously call into question the whole basis of the consultation exercise.

"It makes a mockery of the whole ides of consultation if they are saying that these 4,000 people, who have bothered to sing up to a petition setting out particular reasons why their post office should not close, will not be counted."

Mr Lepper has also branded the report produced by the management of Post Office Ltd for closures in his constituency as "a shoddy, careless and inaccurate piece of work."

Councillor Ian Davey has presented the Trafalgar Street petition to watchdog Postwatch.

He said: "This post office like many others is a vital part of the local residential and business community. To close it would be a devastating blow to both."