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Council fails to deliver on post promise
9:00am Saturday 28th June 2008
Post office supporters are urging Haringey Council to fulfil its promise to rescue a vital community service after two branches closed last week.
In March, council chiefs said they would consider following in the footsteps of Essex County Council, which pledged to subsidise post offices if branches were forced to close.
But, responding to calls for action this week, the council said it had ruled out this kind of intervention after being advised by Post Office Ltd that keeping smaller branches open would threaten the viability of the borough's remaining branches.
After a six-week consultation, the Page Green branch, in Broad Lane, was the only one of seven Haringey branches earmarked for closure to be reprieved.
Branches in Ferme Park Road, in Crouch End, and Weston Park Road, in Hornsey, were the first to close on June 17.
Councillor Robert Gorrie, leader of Haringey Liberal Democrats, said: "The council seems satisfied that only one of our threatened post offices will remain open.
"It promised residents it would do everything to ensure no post office would close in Haringey. The silence since then has been deafening. It is time for the council to put its money where its mouth is."
Council leader George Meehan insisted the council still hoped to find a solution to the "frustrating" situation.
He said: "We have met Post Office Ltd to get the financial information required to possibly retain the post office services and discussed innovative options with other councils.
"We will investigate any possible options that arise."
Branches in High Street, Highgate, Alexandra Park Road, Muswell Hill, and West Green Road, Tottenham, will close in the next few weeks.
The final closure, of the Wood Green office, in Salisbury Road, is scheduled for July 7.
The decision to close the branches came after a national consultation last year which revealed post offices were losing £4 million a week because of plummeting customer numbers.
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Adrian Essex, crouch end says...
11:44am Sun 29 Jun 08
http://www.haringey.
gov.uk/index/news_an
d_events/latest_news
/postofficeclosures.
htm
Lots of council talk but no action.
Friday 7 March 2008
Plans to close six post offices in Haringey will hit older and disabled people the hardest.
The plans were today criticised by council - Cllr Bob Harris, cabinet member for adult social care, said:
"Post offices are a valuable local resource, but they are a lifeline for the elderly and disabled.
"These vulnerable groups will find it increasingly difficult to go to alternative branches - the nearest could be some way away on hilly terrain and with lengthy queues. The consultation process has been curtailed and I hope it is not a sham. I wish the Post Office chief executive and chairman would come and talk to ordinary users.
"If there are problems with any existing buildings we are happy to investigate with the Post Office the possibility of using council buildings."