Surrey County Conservatives

Conservatives pledge support for the future of Spelthorne’s Post Offices (27th November)

At the Full Council meeting on Tuesday Carol Coleman spoke of the threatened cuts in the number of Post Offices in the Borough of Spelthorne.

Mrs. Coleman spoke of the 10 Post Offices closed since 1999 and of the possibility of another 2 or 3 being closed in the foreseeable future, leaving the Borough with only 10 post offices for a population of 90,500.

She mentioned that one of Ashford’s Post Offices has already been closed since the summer as a ‘temporary’ measure, and said that residents were concerned that there was little sign of it reopening.

In response, Christine Stevens SCC’s Executive Member for Safer & Stronger Communities, thanked Mrs. Coleman for raising the issue and said that she would do everything possible to help keep the Post Offices open. “Post Offices are not only useful, but to some people they are essential. My Executive colleagues and myself will do all we can, on behalf of the people of Surrey, to try to keep Post Offices open.

As part of our work, as a County Council, with regards to Safer & Stronger Communities we intend to look at the role of Post Offices under threat and seek innovative solutions where these are practical and affordable. We need to make sure that Post Office Ltd. and the Government consider all possible alternative options before closing any further Post Offices.

I am delighted to offer my support to my fellow Conservative councillors in Spelthorne in their efforts and I am glad that Mrs. Coleman has raised this important issue”.

After the meeting Mrs. Stevens said that she would be writing to both the Royal Mail and to the Government to express her support for Spelthorne’s threatened Post Offices.

Speaking afterwards Mrs. Coleman remarked, “closing Post Offices effects entire communities, but their closures impact upon the elderly and disadvantaged in a disproportionate way. Post Offices provide an essential service, and I simply don’t know how the elderly and vulnerable will be able to access services if their local Post Office is closed. The existing closures have been bad enough, but any more will leave Spelthorne in a very sorry state.

Under the present government 4,000 Post Offices have closed, and despite 2,000 sub-postmasters delivering a petition of over 4 million signatures to the previous Prime Minister they show no signs of listening to what the people want and keeping Post Offices open.

I am grateful to Mrs. Stevens for her support, and that she will be doing her best to persuade the Government and Post Office Ltd. to keep our Post Offices open”.

Mrs. Coleman’s fellow Conservative County Councillors also spoke in support.

Denise Saliagopoulos said that she was “particularly concerned about the impact on the elderly and those who most rely upon Post Offices”, whilst Denise Turner was concerned for “those people who are staying at home to look after vulnerable relatives and who are not able to travel far to be able to use the services that should be available to them through their local Post Office”.