Sussex politicians criticise Post Office consultation (From The Argus)

Sussex politicians criticise Post Office consultation

10:35am Thursday 22nd May 2008 in News By Samuel Underwood

Politicians have criticised the Post Office for holding a "phoney"

consultation on the future of its branches.

Lewes MP Norman Baker and Lewes District Council leader Ann De Vecchi have met with Pat McFadden, Minister for the Department for Business, Enterprise, and Regulatory Reform and Post Office representatives.

Following the meeting, the pair claimed the decision to close post offices in Landport, Lewes, and Claremont Road, Seaford, was taken long before the Post Office consultation process was completed.

They said that, during the heated meeting, it became clear a key objective of the Post Office was to increase the number of customers at its main offices in Lewes and Seaford to increase their viability by closing other offices close by.

Mr Baker said: "It is now clear that the Post Office decided very early on to close both the Landport and Claremont Road branches, and that the so-called consultation was phoney - an empty exercise in cynicism.

"It doesn't matter to the Post Office that these units were viable, were valued by the local community and delivered an essential service.

"It didn't matter that there was huge opposition to the closures even, in the case of Landport, from Postwatch. And it didn't matter that the district council was prepared to help financially to keep them open.

"All that mattered to the Post Office is that the customers could be redirected to the Crown Office in Lewes High Street, or the main post office in Church Street, Seaford.

"Indeed, the more customers there were at the Landport and Claremont Road branches, the more could be transferred to the main offices. What kind of twisted logic is this?"

Mrs De Vecchi added: "The Post Office has also failed to acknowledge there are already queues at the main Lewes office out on to the street at certain times.

"How can this unit possibly cope with even more customers?"

She also slammed the Post Office for failing to engage properly with the council, saying: "We asked them for information and we signed their nondisclosure agreement. We did everything they asked but they completely broke their promises and failed to supply the information we had requested.

"We are still waiting to this day."

Mr Baker and Mrs De Vecchi said the minister accepted that the capacity of the main offices was an issue which needed to be addressed and asked the Post Office to inform them how it would be tackled.

Last week a woman won the right to seek a judicial review of decisions made by ministers and the Post Office to axe thousands of branches across the country.

Judy Brown, from Hastings, claims the closures discriminate against her and other disabled people who would struggle to reach more distant branches if those nearby close.

She claims Business Secretary John Hutton, who is overseeing the controversial closure programme, acted unlawfully by exempting the Post Office from laws requiring public bodies to promote equality for the disabled.

What do you think about Mr Baker and Mrs De Vecchi's revelations? Tell us below.