SAVE OUR POST OFFICES

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 5th Nov 2007

Last Lap To Save Canterbury Post Offices

"We're into the last lap to save Canterbury post offices," says Martin Vye, Liberal Democrat County Councillor for Canterbury City South West.

On the evening of Thursday 1 November he attended a meeting of the Local Board, and was heartened to hear about the campaign that is taking shape across the county.

"There is every reason to fight on" Martin said. "Look at the case the Post Office has put forward to close the PO in St Dunstans. They say the main Post Office in the city would be a 'reasonable distance' for residents in the northern part of Canterbury but on their map they have it located where it is now, not where it is going to be , at the other end of the High Street. Think of all those older people living in Hillview, Richmond Gardens, or the far end of Westgate Court Avenue.The new PO would certainly not be at a 'reasonable distance' for them ! As for 'accessibility by bus' these residents already have a long walk to get to Whitstable Road and the bus service and then they would have another long walk from the Westgate Tower".

Martin added: " I shall be fighting hard for St Dunstans PO, in my division.I believe that on their own criteria the Post Office have a weak case for closure. But we need to go further than that. This round of planned closures is the latest in a series started by the Conservatives and continued by Labour.We need to make the case for the Post Office network. It plays an important part in all our communities.Sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses know their customers, many of whom are elderly or living on their own.We need to support this network before it is lost for ever.There is a chance, though, if the public response to these plans is massive, that Labour might back off , as they have done in other cases where they have been afraid of being too unpopular. So write to

Gary Herbert,Network Development Manager Kent, Post Office Ltd,FREEPOST Consultation. I am, let him know what you think.

Remember: you have to get responses in by the 12th of November."