Dismay at more Post Office closures
July 1, 2004 12:00 AM
Dismay has been expressed at the latest list of post office closures in Bristol.
Stephen Williams, the Lib Dems' parliamentary spokesman for Bristol West, is concerned that the latest closures follow a spate of closures in recent years. "We have been worried about the loss of post offices for several years. The news that another four are to close in Bristol West makes me wonder whether we will soon have only a handful of post offices in this part of the city."
The Post Office's latest plans are for 19 closures in Bristol. Four post offices in Bristol West are included, Coldharbour Road PO in Redland, Hotwell Road PO, Stoke Bishop PO and Stoke Lane PO in Westbury. In recent years post offices have closed in Sneyd Park (Rockleaze), Redland (Woolcot St), Cotham (St Michaels Hill and Zetland Road)and St Pauls (Lower Ashley Rd)as the network has shrunk, mainly due to the loss of key government business.
Stephen Williams concluded, "The Government's insistence since April 2003 that pension and benefit payments are paid direct to bank accounts has had a disastrous effect on our network of community post offices. This will severely inconvenience local residents, particularly elderly people. The policy is also short sighted as it makes it harder for people to access other local and national government functions at the post office such as the payment of council tax, car tax and TV licences."
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