John Penrose

Conservative Party | Weston-super-Mare

Weston-super-Mare MP submits objections on Post Office closures and urges local residents to do the same 

Local MP John Penrose today submitted his formal objections to the planned closure of six Post Offices in the Weston-super-Mare area and urged local residents to do the same before the consultation period finishes. The consultation, which began on Tuesday 26th February, is set to finish next week on Wednesday 9th April.

 

In his submission, Mr Penrose advances the arguments why each of the six local branches should be saved. He also points out that Weston is facing a cut from 27 to 21 Post offices, a reduction of 23% which is substantially above the national closure rate of 17% and is thus both inappropriate and unfair.

 

Speaking about the submission Mr Penrose said: “The Post Office provides many important services which many residents, including some of the most vulnerable in our society, rely on. All of the six Post Offices that are under threat are the heart of the local neighbourhood and closing them will be a hammer blow to community life.

 

“The Government told Post Office Ltd. that they had to close 2,500 branches, which is 17% of the network. So why is Weston being asked to cope with a cut of 23% - 6 out of 27 local branches? It’s not fair on local residents, particularly the vulnerable and elderly who rely on their post office for vital services and community involvement.

 

“It’s not too late for residents to make their voices heard on the closures. The public consultation doesn’t finish till next week and the postage is free. People can also show their support for their local services by signing one of the many petitions that are going around or by using the one on my website at www.johnpenrosemp.com