Councillor pushes to save Milton Keynes city centre post office from closure

Cllr Paul Trendall says the facility is a “lifeline” to thousands of local people, who rely upon it for vital postal and financial services.

He has successfully urged the Labour leader of the City Council to get behind his campaign and register the authority’s official protest to any closure plans.

National Post Office bosses last month drew up a list of 115 directly-owned branches that were at risk of being offloaded as part of a bid to streamline operations in a five-year transformation plan.

This list was revealed by the Communication Workers Union, which represents Post Office staff, and Midsummer Boulevard branch was firmly on it.

The move would mean more than 1,000 jobs are at risk nationally and hordes of customers could be inconvenienced.

Cllr Trendall, who is deputy leader of the local Liberal Democrat group, has now persuaded the city council to take urgent and firm action.

He said: “The post office is a lifeline for thousands of residents across the city and it is extremely worrying to hear of the planned closure. Dozens of people rely on its services everyday to withdraw cash or to pay bills. The closure of this branch will negatively impact those who do not have access to online services, especially elderly and vulnerable residents.”

Council leader Pete Marland will now write to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs, and the Chair of the Post Office urging them to reconsider the closure.

The formal letter will also be signed by the Mayor and the leaders of both opposition groups to demonstrate cross-party support and unified opposition to the plan, said Cllr Trendall.

Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Jane Carr, said: “This is about listening to residents and supporting our communities. This is not about political point scoring.

"By calling for cross-party support, we send a strong message to the Government and the Post Office that Lib Dem councillors will not stand by whilst essential services are put at risk.

"We want to save our local post office and ensure that communities across the city are not left without vital services that so many people rely on.”

Already the Communication Workers Union has lashed out at the proposals and described them as “immoral”,

CWU boss, Dave Ward said: "We call on the Post Office to immediately halt these planned closures and the attached consultations - which, historically, have been nothing but playing lip service - and engage with the CWU on protecting jobs and services.”

He added: “The Post Office is a key part of the national infrastructure. It keeps communities connected, is a lifeline to the elderly and most vulnerable in society and should be the shop front for so many government services.

For the company to announce the closure of hundreds of Post Offices hot on the heels of the Horizon scandal is as tone deaf as it is immoral.”

The Midsummer Boulevard Post Office has been a feature of the shopping centre since it opened and is still well used by the public. It is open weekdays from 9am until 6pm and on Saturdays from 9am until 5.30pm.