Lib Dem fury at proposed Thatcham Post Office closure

3.27.30pm GMT Mon 10th Dec 2007

Stephanie Steevenson and Jason Leake are fighting to save Post Offices in Thatcham

Thatcham South Councillors Terry Port and Owen Jeffery have today expressed their outrage that the well-used Burdwood Centre Post Office in the Co-op at Station Road in Thatcham is proposed for closure under the latest Government cuts to the Post Office network.

"This is the post office residents of south Thatcham find most easy to use and I am hugely disappointed to find it on the closure 'hit list'" said Councillor Jeffery, "All three of Thatcham's remaining sub Post Offices are needed to maintain an appropriate service to the public including large numbers of the elderly. We led a SUCCESSFUL campaign three years ago to save the Burdwood Post Office when it was closed before. When we got the Co-op and the Post Office to negotiate it was able to re-open after a few weeks. It now looks as if the same battle will need to be fought all over again.

"A brand new estate has been built at Kennet Heath where the MoD depot used to be - probably more than 2,000 people now live there - it seems incredible to suggest that this cannot be a profitable sub Post Office."

Fellow Thatcham South Councillor Terry Port added,

"I urge all those who want to keep the branch open to write and register objections in the next 'consultation' stage, which will close on 31st January 2008. It is unacceptable to cut essential services like this - the Conservative Government cut 3,500 and Labour have cut another 4,000 - we simply cannot afford to lose branches at this ridiculous rate. Sign the Lib Dem petition to stop this at http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/saveberkshirepostoffices "