Lib Dems call for formal response to Post Office closures (Kirklees Liberal Democrats)

Kirklees Liberal Democrats <info@kirkleeslibdems.org.uk>

Lib Dems call for formal response to Post Office closures

January 12, 2007 12:01 AM

Kirklees Liberal Democrats are calling for the council to use its research capacity to make the case to save post offices in Kirklees a meeting of the Council on 17th January 2007.

"The Council has an extensive research group and access to information held by other organisations in Kirklees. They can use this information to argue against government proposals to close yet more post offices in Kirklees. Nationally it seems that the government is planning to close a further 2500 Post Offices" says Councillor Turner. "There has been a steady erosion of the services that Post Offices are allowed to offer which has lead to large numbers closing because they are not viable."

"The post office is at the very heart of our rural communities - providing a vital service to both local residents and visitors alike. Without their post office, many villagers will feel that they have had the heart ripped out of their community.

The latest round of closures comes after successive Conservative and Labour Governments have overseen the closure of 8,000 post offices in recent years. On top of this, the current Labour Government has undermined the post office network by removing £168million worth of business from post offices in the last year alone - from benefit payments to TV licences and tax discs.

"Sadly this is not a new fight" says Councillor Turner "But we must use every resource available to fight against these closures. Post office closures are just the latest in a long line of blows to our rural communities. Village shops, banks and schools have all been hit recently. In many places in the Colne valley and house prices are simply out of reach of the people who were born and have grown up locally."