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Post offices axed: consultation pointless
Communities around Oxfordshire feel their voices have not been heard as all 22 of the county's at-risk post offices look set to close.
MP Ed Vaizey, who had previously revealed details of the branches set for closure, said he had been contacted by the Post Office who disclosed that none of the Oxfordshire post offices on the list had been saved from the axe.
Mr Vaizey described the news as a "tremendous slap in the face" for campaigners who fought to keep their local post offices open and comes ahead of an official announcement on closures tomorrow.
An Oxford Mail campaign to save the county's post offices saw us hand-delivering a 6,000-signature petition and 150 letters of opposition to 10 Downing Street.
A separate petition of 11,000 names was also sent to bosses during the six-week consultation process.
Postmistress Dian Harvey of Iffley Post Office, in Church Way, Oxford, said: "There was no point in even having a consultation.
"They obviously had to look like they were listening but, if they don't even save one post office, then what was it all for? The implications for this community will be devastating."
Raj Prasad, postmaster of Grandpont Post Office, in Abingdon Road, Oxford, said: "There has been so much support from the community, writing letters and with the Oxford Mail petition. We had hoped to show that people wanted to keep the post office going.
"This is very sad news, not just for me but for the whole community, and I'm not sure how people are going to take it. We provide a service for a lot of elderly people here, who will now be forced to go elsewhere."
Elizabeth Burridge, 85, a resident of Pegasus Grange home, in Whitehouse Road, said: "There are about 120 people with an average age of roughly 80 at the Pegasus. What are we expected to do now? This is awful news for us."
Caroll Bishop, 45, from Lake Street said: "It's just a real shame that they haven't paid any attention to the fact so many people wanted this post office to stay open."
Alex Kerr, 63, of Newton Road, also a regular customer, said: "I think this is very bad news. This post office is one that is well used by the local community and the service is excellent."
At Carterton's Stanmore Cresecent Post Office, postmistress Wanda Huggett said she received her letter informing her of the closure on Saturday morning.
She said: "I've been at this post office for the past 18 years and now I've got to go out and get myself a new job now. I'm a single mum and I need to support my family."
A spokesman for the Post Office said: "We plan on making a formal announcement tomorrow and we are not going to speculate ahead of that."
However, Mr Vaizey the Conservative MP for Wantage and Didcot said: "I can confirm that all 22 post offices are set to close.
"I was contacted by the Post Office who told me all branches in my constituency would close along with the 17 other in Oxfordshire.
"People will be absolutely furious. I don't think the Post Office listened to people's genuine pleas."
The Post Office wants to close 2,500 branches across the UK to cut losses of £4m a week.
6:41am Monday 5th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: DanOxford on 10:42am Mon 5 May 08
'Consultation' under this government simply means nodding their head in a patronising manner before saying 'Yes- but nanny knows best!' and doing it anyway- hence the total drubbing NuLabour got at the local election nationally and how they're now saying they're going to 'listen'.
Andrew Smith voted with the government on this program of closures while claiming to be fighting to save local post offices.
When you do have to use a main post office it's full of people claiming benefits due to NuLabour making it a piece of cake to live off the taxpayer rather than earn a decent honest living.
Hopefully all these broken promises, lies and arrogant 'we know best' policies will be remembered when we get a chance to get get them out.
'Consultation' under this government simply means nodding their head in a patronising manner before saying 'Yes- but nanny knows best!' and doing it anyway- hence the total drubbing NuLabour got at the local election nationally and how they're now saying they're going to 'listen'.
Andrew Smith voted with the government on this program of closures while claiming to be fighting to save local post offices.
When you do have to use a main post office it's full of people claiming benefits due to NuLabour making it a piece of cake to live off the taxpayer rather than earn a decent honest living.
Hopefully all these broken promises, lies and arrogant 'we know best' policies will be remembered when we get a chance to get get them out.
Posted by: DanOxford on 11:25am Mon 5 May 08
But I suppose you have to weigh up the costs of keeping these underused facilities open.
I mean its all funded by our taxes and I don't see why us decent citizens should keep some yokels post office open because a couple of pensioners need to sponge off the state.
Euthanasia would be a far more cost effective means. After all it costs £13,000,000,000 a minute to help some old crone buy her teabags, but only £40 for a quick lethal injection from my drug helper buddy, Lenny the Luger.
Its all good economic sense.
But I suppose you have to weigh up the costs of keeping these underused facilities open.
I mean its all funded by our taxes and I don't see why us decent citizens should keep some yokels post office open because a couple of pensioners need to sponge off the state.
Euthanasia would be a far more cost effective means. After all it costs £13,000,000,000 a minute to help some old crone buy her teabags, but only £40 for a quick lethal injection from my drug helper buddy, Lenny the Luger.
Its all good economic sense.
Posted by: JonB, Oxford on 11:30am Mon 5 May 08
The so-called consultation about the closure programme was a complete farce, and has more to do with the £1m bonus being paid to the Post Office Managing Director for hitting the Post Office target of 2500 closures than anything about providing a public service.
In any other industry this would be called a conflict of interest.
Here it has more to do with a conflict with the Managing Director's interests...
The so-called consultation about the closure programme was a complete farce, and has more to do with the £1m bonus being paid to the Post Office Managing Director for hitting the Post Office target of 2500 closures than anything about providing a public service.
In any other industry this would be called a conflict of interest.
Here it has more to do with a conflict with the Managing Director's interests...
Posted by: Tony Brett, Oxford on 12:43pm Mon 5 May 08
Anyone who voted Labour on Thursday really is not in a strong position to criticise here.
I too think the post office closure are a travesty but they come from a LABOUR government, as supported by Oxford East's LABOUR MP.
Anyone who voted Labour on Thursday really is not in a strong position to criticise here.
I too think the post office closure are a travesty but they come from a LABOUR government, as supported by Oxford East's LABOUR MP.
Posted by: bartov on 1:58pm Mon 5 May 08
Nice to see a defeated candidate slagging off the voters.
Ever wondered why you didnt get voted in Tony?
Nice to see a defeated candidate slagging off the voters.
Ever wondered why you didnt get voted in Tony?
Posted by: Tony Brett, Oxford on 4:50pm Mon 5 May 08
Erm, did I slag off voters? I thought I was slagging off a party.
One who's MP campaigns locally to keep Post Offices and then in Westminster to get rid of them. If that's not plain and simple hypocrisy then I don't know what is.
Erm, did I slag off voters? I thought I was slagging off a party.
One who's MP campaigns locally to keep Post Offices and then in Westminster to get rid of them. If that's not plain and simple hypocrisy then I don't know what is.
Posted by: John, Oxfordshire on 10:20pm Mon 5 May 08
If Crowmarsh PO is destined to close all it will mean is that people will get in their cars to drive to the PO in a Portakabin in Wallingford further clogging the streets, the car parks and air with pollution.
Short-sighted money pinching.
If Crowmarsh PO is destined to close all it will mean is that people will get in their cars to drive to the PO in a Portakabin in Wallingford further clogging the streets, the car parks and air with pollution.
Short-sighted money pinching.
Posted by: DanOxford on 11:36pm Mon 5 May 08
[quote][bold]DanOxford[/bold] wrote:
But I suppose you have to weigh up the costs of keeping these underused facilities open. I mean its all funded by our taxes and I don't see why us decent citizens should keep some yokels post office open because a couple of pensioners need to sponge off the state. Euthanasia would be a far more cost effective means. After all it costs £13,000,000,000 a minute to help some old crone buy her teabags, but only £40 for a quick lethal injection from my drug helper buddy, Lenny the Luger. Its all good economic sense. [/quote] Oh- someone can't write a comment under their own name so uses mine? Must be Alan 'Paedo' Page- the reference to drugs gave it away, as he find sit impossible not to mention them in any post...
DanOxford wrote:
But I suppose you have to weigh up the costs of keeping these underused facilities open. I mean its all funded by our taxes and I don't see why us decent citizens should keep some yokels post office open because a couple of pensioners need to sponge off the state. Euthanasia would be a far more cost effective means. After all it costs £13,000,000,000 a minute to help some old crone buy her teabags, but only £40 for a quick lethal injection from my drug helper buddy, Lenny the Luger. Its all good economic sense.
Oh- someone can't write a comment under their own name so uses mine? Must be Alan 'Paedo' Page- the reference to drugs gave it away, as he find sit impossible not to mention them in any post...
Posted by: Kris on 11:51pm Mon 5 May 08
yet another strike for MR.Brown and his wonderful party.
Thanks bunches mate!
yet another strike for MR.Brown and his wonderful party.
Thanks bunches mate!
Posted by: alan page on 1:11am Tue 6 May 08
[quote][bold]DanOxford[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]DanOxford[/bold] wrote: But I suppose you have to weigh up the costs of keeping these underused facilities open. I mean its all funded by our taxes and I don't see why us decent citizens should keep some yokels post office open because a couple of pensioners need to sponge off the state. Euthanasia would be a far more cost effective means. After all it costs £13,000,000,000 a minute to help some old crone buy her teabags, but only £40 for a quick lethal injection from my drug helper buddy, Lenny the Luger. Its all good economic sense. [/quote] Oh- someone can't write a comment under their own name so uses mine? Must be Alan 'Paedo' Page- the reference to drugs gave it away, as he find sit impossible not to mention them in any post...[/quote] Mind you he does have a point regarding cos effectiveness.
In order to maintain a workable, profitable enterprise you must constantly strive to excise the non functioning, unprofitable branches.
Dear old Maggie did the same with the miners. But as we said at the time "high unemployment is a price worth paying for a healthy economy".
Rather like high rates of smack addiction are a price worth paying for the freedom to get off ones head on drugs without fear of arrest.
DanOxford wrote:
DanOxford wrote: But I suppose you have to weigh up the costs of keeping these underused facilities open. I mean its all funded by our taxes and I don't see why us decent citizens should keep some yokels post office open because a couple of pensioners need to sponge off the state. Euthanasia would be a far more cost effective means. After all it costs £13,000,000,000 a minute to help some old crone buy her teabags, but only £40 for a quick lethal injection from my drug helper buddy, Lenny the Luger. Its all good economic sense.
Oh- someone can't write a comment under their own name so uses mine? Must be Alan 'Paedo' Page- the reference to drugs gave it away, as he find sit impossible not to mention them in any post...
Mind you he does have a point regarding cos effectiveness.
In order to maintain a workable, profitable enterprise you must constantly strive to excise the non functioning, unprofitable branches.
Dear old Maggie did the same with the miners. But as we said at the time "high unemployment is a price worth paying for a healthy economy".
Rather like high rates of smack addiction are a price worth paying for the freedom to get off ones head on drugs without fear of arrest.
Posted by: Katie, Oxford on 8:38am Tue 6 May 08
This is a prime example of what Gordon Clown meant by he was going to ‘listen’ after Thursday’s elections. Sure ‘listen’ but not actually DO anything different to what they had planned in the first place.
This is a prime example of what Gordon Clown meant by he was going to ‘listen’ after Thursday’s elections. Sure ‘listen’ but not actually DO anything different to what they had planned in the first place.
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