Burstow blasts 'hard nosed' plans to axe half the post offices in Sutton and Cheam

12.00.00am GMT Thu 9th Sep 2004

Local MP, Paul Burstow, has blasted Post Office plans to close six of the thirteen sub-post offices in his Sutton and Cheam constituency as 'hard nosed'.

Post Office Limited has announced today (9th September) plans to close post offices in Belmont village, Cheam village, Church Hill Road, Stonecot Hill, Angel Hill and Oldfields Road. A further three post offices are listed for closure in Carshalton and Wallington bringing the total number of closures to nine.

The closures are part of the Government financed Post Office Network Reinvention programme which has seen hundreds of post offices closing up and down the country.

Consultation on Post Office Limited's plans starts on the 9th September and lasts until Wednesday 20th October.

Paul Burstow has already written to a large number of local residents and organisations to make sure they know about the plans and to seek their views. Mr Burstow will also be meeting with Council leaders next week (13th September) to discuss the proposals and build the case for saving as many of Sutton and Cheam's post office as possible.

Commenting on the plans Paul Burstow MP said:

"The closure plans will devastate the local network, harm local shopping centres and disadvantage local residents. Six closures is worse than I expected. There is something faintly Orwellian about calling a closure plan 'network reinvention'. It is clear that Post Office Limited are taking a hard nosed approach. Axing post offices to balance its books. It will be the elderly, disabled and other vulnerable groups who will suffer.

"If implemented in full these plans would leave large numbers of residents a long way away from a local post office. The plan to close the Belmont village post office is particularly ill conceived leaving local residents stranded and dependent on a bus to Cheam to buy a stamp or draw a pension. Many residents and businesses around Cheam will be stunned by the proposal to close their local branch.

"The clock is ticking and time is running out for our local post offices. It is vital that residents make their views heard and write to Post Office Limited. I would also like to hear what people think."