Like many residents locally, I am extremely dismayed to learn that - of the 4 Post Offices announced as to be closed in the Dundee City Council area - two are in the West End Ward, one in Lochee Road - the other being the Nethergate Post Office.Having received the very bulky recorded delivery mailing from Post Office Limited this morning about their so-called "Network Change Programme" (for that read "Network Closure Programme"), it is clear that the number of customers in both Post Offices is very significant (750-999 per week at Lochee Road Post Office and 1000-1499 per week at Nethergate Post Office) and their loss will have a significant deterimental impact on the communities they have served so well over the years.
I am in the Nethergate Post Office in particular frequently - it is always busy and suggesting it should be closed to my mind makes no sense. I totally concur with the comments of the postmaster Mr Baig that the decision to close Nethergate Post Office is a strange one. Furthermore, it is open for longer each week (at 51 hours) than the next nearest Post Offices some distance further west in Perth Road, and in the City Centre at Meadowside.
I have already commented to the media that I hope all people locally will campaign to save our Post Offices. That includes - I hope - Dundee West Labour MP Jim McGovern, whose party's record in office with regard to the Post Offices has been extremely poor.
The Labour Party’s policy is one of managed decline, developed in response to their own plan to require the Post Office to be commercially self sufficient, while at the same time withdrawing huge chunks of revenue through the decision to pay benefits where possible through bank accounts, and develop direct and online channels for vehicle and TV licences.
By the end of the current closure programme, Labour will have overseen the closure of almost 7,000 post offices – 11 offices for every single week in power.
Labour Ministers are now expecting Post Office Limited to return to profit by 2011. Yet despite the size of that task, less than £90m per year is going to be available for the investment essential to turn the business round.
There is a clear need nationally for a costed and credible set of proposals to keep existing post offices open and, where necessary, to open others. I sincerely hope that our Labour MP in Dundee will help in the campaign to save Post Offices in the City. Everyone can help the campaign by e-mailing consultation@postoffice.co.uk criticising the proposals.
There is a clear need nationally for a costed and credible set of proposals to keep existing post offices open and, where necessary, to open others. I sincerely hope that our Labour MP in Dundee will help in the campaign to save Post Offices in the City. Everyone can help the campaign by e-mailing consultation@postoffice.co.uk criticising the proposals.