Bitter disappointment at Post Office Closures (York Liberal Democrats)

York Liberal Democrats <info@yorklibdems.org.uk>

Bitter disappointment at Post Office Closures

February 11, 2008 1:50 PM

Cllr Keith Aspden and Madeleine Kirk at Fulford Post Office

Fulford Liberal Democrat Councillor, Keith Aspden, has expressed bitter disappointment at the news that Fulford Post Office will close, despite calls from hundreds of Fulford residents and local campaigners, and particularly because the Post Office has completely misunderstood information on the planned housing development, Germany Beck, which will bring 700 new houses to Fulford ward.

The Post Office's decisions document states that "the proposed housing development is not yet confirmed", and the Post Office has used this incorrect information as a reason to close Fulford Post Office.

Cllr Aspden, who has led the campaign locally to save Fulford Post Office, said: "My understanding is that the Council did not tell the Post Office that it was yet to receive planning permission for the Germany Beck development. The Post Office obviously failed to clarify information about different phases of the planning process, which they clearly misunderstood.

"The decisions document also referred to a development comprising of 1200 houses, but planning permission has in fact been granted for 700, which further suggests that the Post Office does not understand the situation in Fulford. This seems symptomatic of the Post Office's shambolic consultation which has ignored local views and information, in a bid to meet the Government's target of 2, 500 closures.

"The Post Office must review its decision for the local community, and I will be contacting the Post Office to make quite clear that the Germany Beck development will be going ahead, in a bid to reverse this decision."