Motion: Save Hounslow's remaining Post Offices

Speech by Cllr Andrew Dakers, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group delivered to London Borough of Hounslow Full Council on Tue 30th Jan 2007

Between 1999 and 2005, Hounslow has lost a staggering 19 Post Offices. Eight of these in Brentford & Isleworth and eleven in Feltham & Heston constituency. Today just 24 remain.

On 14th December 2006 government Ministers announced plans to close a further 2500 Post Office branches across the UK.

Post Offices are vitally important to the well being of both communities and individuals in Hounslow. They provide a heart to many of our local communities and for older members of our community they have been a convenient, safe and secure location to access a range of key services.

As a result of the closures people walk further than ever before to access a post office and then experience longer queues. If more close I do wonder how the elderly will be able to cope.

There is also an economic impact. Local retail businesses, for example at Albany Parade in Brentford, have already felt the brunt of reduced trade when the local post office disappeared. This trend is backed up by national research from the New Economics Foundation.

The proposed closure programme is unnecessary and the motion that Cllr Drew Morgan-Watts and I put forward calls on the government to:

1. End the branch closure programme;

2. Remove the Royal Mail restrictions on the Post Office to open up further business opportunities for the network;

3. Carry out a review of which additional local and central Government functions could be carried out through Post Offices as many existing services go online;

4. Invest in the Post Office network.

Specific opportunities lie in…

• splitting Post Office Ltd from Royal Mail, so they are 2 separate organisations

• selling 49% of shares in Royal Mail, to raise £2bn AND

• giving employees 50% of the remaining shares, in a John Lewis style trust SO

• freeing Royal Mail from Treasury borrowing controls, so it can invest AND

• freeing post offices from Royal Mail restrictions AND a establishing a £2bn investment fund…

• that will enable Post Offices to invest in new business - for example, establishing themselves as mini parcel depots for Royal Mail & private firms

Fortunately the decision of the Government to withdraw its previous proposals to scrap completely the Post Office Card Account (POCA) and must be welcomed. However Ministers must now ensure that any replacement POCA is open freely to all pensioners and benefit recipients who want one. Furthermore they must avoid putting pressure on current and future POCA users to switch to having benefits and pensions paid directly into bank accounts.

Finally we believe the MPs for Brentford & Isleworth and Feltham & Heston should lobby Ministers to save the Post Office from gradual demolition and to protect this vital service for the people of Hounslow. Our MPs should then report back to this council on their actions.

I urge you to support this motion and will now hand over to my colleague Cllr Drew Morgan-Watts who is seconding the motion.