LIB DEM COUNCILLORS CALL ON GOVERNMENT TO STOP POST OFFICE CLOSURES

2.37.01pm GMT Mon 22nd Jan 2007

The Liberal Democrat Group on Torbay Council have tabled a motion calling on the Government to halt post office closures. The motion, which has been proposed by Cllr Chris Lomas and seconded by Cllr George Porter, will be discussed at Full Council meeting on 7th February.

During the period from 1999 - 2006 ten post offices have closed in the Torbay Parliamentary Constituency, and twelve have closed in the Totnes Parliamentary Constituency.

The motion calls on the Government to:

End the branch closure programme; Remove the Royal Mail restrictions on the Post Office to open up further business opportunities for the network; Stop removing Government business from Post Offices; Carry out a review of which additional Government functions could be carried out through Post Offices; Invest in the Post Office Network.

The motion also calls on the Members of Parliament for Torbay and Totnes, Adrian Sanders MP and Anthony Steen MP to lobby Ministers to stop the post office closures.

Commenting on the motion, Cllr Chris Lomas said: "Post Offices are a vital community resource, and not just a business. When a post office closes, it often sounds the death knell for the local community. The Government are causing their decline by taking so much of their business away from post offices. The Government must take action to save the post office network."

Cllr George Porter said: "As Torbay Council's Older Person's Champion I know how important post offices are to older people and pensioners. In Torbay we have a high percentage of older people so any post office closures are especially bad news for our area."

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Torbay Council, Cllr Gordon Jennings said: "As usual, the Liberal Democrat Council Group are standing up for local people on issues that matter to them. Rather than sitting on their hands and saying that such matters are nothing to do with them, I very much hope that on this issue we can receive the support of the Mayor and his Conservative colleagues."

Ends