Starting gun fired on PO closure consultation

10.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 15th Jul 2008

Julia has called on local people to show their support for their Post Offices, after the Government announced plans to close 7 branches in the Falmouth and Camborne area.

Opening the public consultation on its proposals in Cornwall today, the Royal Mail revealed plans to close Budock Water, Close Hill, Flushing, Killigrew Street, Carharrack, Pool and the Bar Post Offices. In total, 62 branches across the county have been earmarked for closure.

There has been widespread concern over the timing of the consultation process, which coincides with summer holiday period, when many local people will be away or busy with the influx of visitors to the county. That the consultation will be running over the summer months also means that there will also be no opportunity for Parliamentary scrutiny of the controversial proposals.

The plans are part of the Government's national 'network change' programme for the Post Office, through which it will close 2,500 branches across the country. This is in addition to the 3,500 branches which were closed under the last Conservative Government.

Commenting on the announcement that 7 Post Offices in the Falmouth and Camborne constituency are threatened with closure, local Julia Goldsworthy MP said:

"We will be working hard with local people to fight each and every one of these closures.

"We must protect the future of our Post Offices, which play such an important role in our lives, not only in terms of accessing services but also in providing a focal point for local communities in the area.

"It is an outrage that, after promising a full and proper consultation process, the Government will now be running this consultation over the summer months, when many people will be away on holiday or too busy with the influx of visitors to make their views fully known.

"We will not allow this cynical choice of timing to affect our campaign to save our Post Offices and local people are ready to fight these misguided and destructive proposals.