Post Office Closures

One of the best blog posts written on this subject is from Dr Simon Moores of Thanet Life. He highlights what's happening in the area where I spent my formative years.

Great cat!

Post Office Closures - Is Yours on the List?

Among those being closed in Thanet North are Minnis Road in Birchington, Dane Road in Margate and Canterbury Road in Westbrook.

You can see the Meridian News report here:

In Thanet South, Laura Sandys, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate has condemned the Post Office culling programme that is proposing the closures in South Thanet - Cliffs End, Grange Road in Ramsgate and Bellevue Road in Ramsgate and the village post office of Woodnesborough.

"It cannot be right to close a post office in the small community of Cliffs End that supports the only shop in the village. The residents will have to either get on the bus or get in their car if the community shop does not survive. This will hit the most vulnerable the worst.

“Ironically Cliffs End post office was opened by Dr Ladyman MP to great fanfare. However since then it appears that he has done little to support it. In 2006 in Parliament he voted against the Conservative motion to help save our post offices and has done little to stop the Government’s policies of eroding sub post offices business opportunities.

“Woodnesborough has one of the prettiest post offices in Kent and serves the whole community of 500 households. It is at the heart of the village and again without the post office service will the shop survive?”

“Government policies have undermined the small post offices’ businesses. It has stripped pension and TV license and Road Tax business away from sub post offices and it is Gordon Brown who, as Chancellor, designed the financial plan for the Post Office and must carry the can for the destruction of a first-class community service.

“The Post Office is putting forward proposals for Mobile Post offices, home visits and the like but these will not assist the small retail businesses that are vital to local people and that have historically been founded upon and around post offices.

“I hope that communities up and down the County will write individually in response to the "consultation" so that we can save those community post offices that serve the most vulnerable in our towns and villages.”

Please send letters to me and to Garry Herbert, Network Development Manager, FREEPOST – Consultation – or sign my petition on line at http://www.telllaura.org.uk/ and go to petitions. I will forward your names and comments to the post office."