Crispin Blunt

Conservative Party | Reigate

CRISPIN BLUNT VISITS LOCAL POST OFFICES POST OFFICE OFFICIAL TOLD: “THERE IS A CASE FOR THESE POST OFFICES TO REMAIN OPEN”

Crispin Blunt, MP for Reigate, yesterday visited the three post offices within the Reigate constituency which are threatened with closure. In January the Post Office announced it would hold a public consultation on the proposed closure of post offices at Horley Road, South Merstham and South Earlswood. Mr Blunt arranged on-site meetings with the Post Office’s Network Development Manager, Gary Herbert and Sally Hopkins the Senior External Relations Office for the Post Office. In each case the sub-postmasters were given the opportunity to meet Mr Herbert and to present a business case for remaining open. Mr Blunt also used the opportunity to press the concerns of local people at the threatened closures. The meetings were not publicised in order that factors that the Post Office might have overlooked could be addressed privately. Mr Blunt was joined by local councillors Rois Miah and Barbara Thomson as well the site owners and sub-postmasters.

Speaking after the meetings Mr Blunt said:

“In light of the changing landscape of the local area it was vital that the Post Office understood concerns about the impact of closures. New developments at Water Colour and Park 25 will affect the demand currently met at Frenches Road and the branch on Nutfield Road. In Whitebushes the Horley Master Plan will also generate more demand.

Mr Blunt added:

“I am very grateful to Gary Herbert for taking the time to come with me and to see for himself the very specific reasons for keeping these post offices open. I hope that he will see fit to look again at the Post Office’s original assumptions in the light of yesterday’s meetings.”