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Mark Hunter MP & the Cheadle Liberal Democrats
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Post Office consultation process a sham, says Mark Hunter MP after 11 Post Offices across Stockport are closed
August 12, 2008 2:42 PM
Mark Hunter campaigning to keep our Post Offices open with Cllrs Helen Foster-Grime, Paul Porgess and Pam King
Cheadle MP Mark Hunter has called the Post Office consultation process a sham, after all 11 of the Post Office in Stockport consulted on are to be closed despite a massive number of complaints from local residents, support from local MPs and Councillors for the Post offices and a substantial local petition against the closures.
Today the Post Office announced the conclusion of its consultation process for the Greater Manchester and High Peak area. Only 4 Post Offices over the whole area were saved with 62 to be closed, including 11 across the Stockport Metropolitan Borough Area and 1 in the Cheadle Constituency. These closures have come after a six week consultation process where almost 6,000 pieces of correspondence were received and 43 meetings were held.
Speaking about these decisions Mr Hunter said: "This whole process has been a complete sham. Both I and local residents are totally against these closures and I know that hundreds of people have written in to complain about the decision to close these branches. We even sent in a petition signed by many of my constituents expressing their outrage that these Post Offices were set for closure, yet their opinions and concerns have been completely ignored.
"Many are rightly concerned about the effect of these closures on the elderly and less mobile, in particular those who cannot easily get to alternative locations. People were also concerned about the effect of these closures on other local shops near to Post Offices, but again theses concerns were ignored with the document stating that people need to travel into other shopping centres for essential services."
"I am immensely angry about the decision that Post Office Ltd have come to. Local people deserve a real say about their local services and the decision to close these Post Offices despite the outcry from residents shows just how ineffective the 'consultation' process is.
"The Government is totally unwilling to work to try and save out local Post Offices and doesn't seem to care that local people are being ignored. I will keep campaigning on this issue and do all that I can to help save our local Post Offices."
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