700 sign petition to save West Town post office
FACED with the closure of their post office more than 700 West Town residents have shown their support, as they fight to stop the axe falling.
FACED with the closure of their post office more than 700 West Town residents have shown their support, as they fight to stop the axe falling.Visitors to the post office in Mayor's Walk, Peterborough, have joined forces with The Evening Telegraph as part of our Hands Off Our Post Office Campaign by putting their name to the petitions located on the counter.
The written seal of approval comes hot on the heels of a public meeting on Wednesday, July 16, at Bracey Hall, in Midland Road, which saw hundreds of worried residents cram into the venue to voice their disapproval of the proposed cuts
Postmaster Roger Underhill said he had been amazed at the numbers of signatures gathered in less than two weeks and said he hoped the level of support would make the Government and Post Office think again about closing the facility.
Mr Underhill said: "West Town Post Office is at the heart of a busy, thriving and diverse community and has been for 60 years. Given the overwhelming support shown by our customers, both at the public meeting and by letters and e-mails, I sincerely hope this petition and the support of our MP Stewart Jackson will help to get the decision to close West Town overturned."
The post office is the hub of a small vibrant stretch of shops on Mayor's Walk, which includes a greengrocer, chemist and supermarket, and residents voiced fears at the meeting that moving the post office may lead to people jumping in their cars and not using the local amenities.
Other concerns raised by residents at the meeting included those without access to transport and unable to travel long distances and pensioners also told of their fears for the future without a nearby post office to pick up their pensions.
Mr Underhill has been the sub-postmaster at the branch for the last 21 years and could not believe that the main reasons for the closures were costs and access. He said: "Our trade is great and we have about 1,500 people through the door each week."
The public consultation to decide which branch will finally be axed ends on August 26.
In Cambridgeshire 26 branches are under threat, including Ramsey St Mary's, Great Gidding, Holme, West Town, New England and Woodston in Peterborough and St Peter's Road, in March.
Petitions need to be returned to The Evening Telegraph by August, 13. They will be delivered to Downing Street by MPs Shailesh Vara and Stewart Jackson and representatives from The Evening Telegraph and post office branches.
Please send your completed petitions to Stephen Briggs, The Evening Telegraph, 57 Priestgate, Peterborough, PE1 1JW, or visit www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/handsoffourpostoffices and download a petition form.
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Saturday 20 March 2010
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