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Council stand to save post offices

Mark Hesford
10/10/2008

COUNCIL chiefs have pledged to look into subsidising Manchester's endangered post offices, including branches in Harpurhey and Lower Crumpsall.

At a town hall meeting on Wednesday, the full council backed a motion proposed by Gorton South councillor Simon Ashley to examine the options the council have to keep the branches open, including the use of grants or subsidy.

Proposals for the closure of 65 branches in the region, including offices on Rochdale Road, Harpurhey and Waterloo Street, Lower Crumpsall were announced in June, followed by a six week consultation in which public and politicians alike lobbied on behalf of the branches.

A total of 1,072 people signed a petition against the closure of Rochdale Road and 1,185 put their name to Waterloo Street's cause.

But despite such support, the Post Office announced that the closures would proceed as part of a national 'Network Change Programme'.

At yesterday's meeting, Cllr Ashley accused the Post Office of holding a "fake" consultation, adding "the Post Office ignored every single last one of us and that's to their eternal shame.

"This motion allows us to have discussions and bring some alternatives that we can consider. It offers a lifeline to the offices, and the chance to re-open 23 branches closed by the Post Office across the city since 2003."

Deputy council leader Jim Battle said: "The motion to the council stressing the importance of post offices to our local communities has all party support.

"We are asking the chief executive to report back to the council's executive meeting to update us on what local authorities in Greater Manchester and elsewhere have been able to achieve with regards to saving post offices."