Postwatch meets the Greater London Assembly
On Tuesday 5 February, Postwatch Greater London attended a meeting of the Greater London Assembly’s Health and Public Services Committee. The Committee was following up its work in 2004 on London post office closures, and was also keen to ensure the Assembly’s submission to the government’s consultation on the future of the post office network was as well informed as possible.
Also present were representatives of Post Office Ltd, the Communication Workers Union, and the New Economics Foundation. Roger Darlington spoke for Postwatch Greater London and summarised our position by making the following points:
The spirit of the meeting was constructive, and all parties recognised that although this is a very difficult time for the post office network, a future ‘restructuring’ programme represents an opportunity to get the best possible network for Post Office Ltd and its customers.
You can access Postwatch’s written evidence HERE
and a webcast of the meeting at:
http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/webcasts.jsp
Also present were representatives of Post Office Ltd, the Communication Workers Union, and the New Economics Foundation. Roger Darlington spoke for Postwatch Greater London and summarised our position by making the following points:
- that no post office in an urban deprived area should close if there is not an alternative with 0.5 miles (this was a criterion of the Urban Reinvention programme);
- that ‘outreach’ services should be considered where it is not possible to maintain a full-time post office outlet;
- that local consultations should be meaningful and that Postwatch should be properly resourced to take part;
- that local authorities should consider what support they might provide to help maintain post office services in their area.
The spirit of the meeting was constructive, and all parties recognised that although this is a very difficult time for the post office network, a future ‘restructuring’ programme represents an opportunity to get the best possible network for Post Office Ltd and its customers.
You can access Postwatch’s written evidence HERE
and a webcast of the meeting at:
http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/webcasts.jsp
posted by Postwatch at 11:24 am
1 Comments:
I attended this as a member of the public.
(I happened to have an early morning meeting near the GLA building so it was an opportunity to see a GLA committee in action; and indeed to go inside the rather striking building.)
It was clear that the GLA members were greatly concerned to be better informed about the future of the Post Office Network. In particular the role of post offices in deprived areas and as part of urban regeneration was a focus of concern. It was also clear that members of the committee noted the way in which the timetable for the abolition of Postwatch and the timetable for this major restructuring do not match. Postwatch being expected to "cease to be" half way through the restructuring....
Ironically perhaps, although I am a member of the Greater London Committee, and so ought to have known all this stuff already, I did feel better informed by the end of the session.
It was interesting to watch politicians of different parties working together to get better informed. A reminder that although politicians are often held in low regard, and are usually portrayed by the media as locked in confrontation, there is a lot of hard work being done on behalf of all of us.
Post a Comment
<< Home