Help Save the Formosa Street Post Office

It is incredibly disappointing that the Lisson Grove and Harrow Road post offices in Westminster North are set to close.

Even more reason why, in the last two weeks of the Formosa Street consultation, we must keep up our fight to save this post office.

I would urge everyone to put in writing the reasons why this branch must remain open and to send their representations to the following people:

Mrs Anita Turner                                          Mr Terry Stafford
Network Development Manager                    Postwatch
Post Office Ltd                                            28 Grosvenor Gardens
c/o National Consultation Team                  London
FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM               SW1W 0TT
consultation@postoffice.co.uk                      REF 458/437
                                                                  info@postwatch.co.uk

Encouragingly, 7 of London's post offices are to be saved following the public consultation period. It is clear from these successful campaigns that we must highlight the positive attributes of the Formosa Street post office as well as the inadequacies of the alternative branches (Kilburn Park and Edgware Road).

When writing to the Network Change Team, it is worth considering the following points:

-       How much further will you have to travel?
-       How long is the queue at the alternative branches?
-       Are there any issues with access, either for disabled people or those with young children?
-       Are there adequate public transport links and/or car parking facilities?
-       What other facilities exist in the area surrounding the alternative branches?
-       Do you have to cross any main roads?
-       Will the closure of Formosa Street result in you using the post office less?

A Special Request

The Post Office Network Change team claim that the Edgware Road post office has the capacity to absorb an increase in customer levels, I disagree.

There are often long queues at this branch and, given that Edgware Road has also been proposed as an alternative branch for customers of the (soon to be closed) Lisson Grove Post Office, this situation will only get worse.

It is important to convey just how overwhelmed the Edgware Road post office is at present, never-mind when thousands of additional customers are forced to use it.

In the coming weeks, I would ask that people try to use the Edgware Road branch (however inconvenient this may be) and take note of the time and date of the visit as well as the length of queue and quality of service encountered. This information can be used to demonstrate that Edgware Road is utterly unacceptable as an alternative branch for customers of the Formosa Street Post Office.

To report your findings in confidence, please contact my office on 020 7625 3805 or email me at joanne@westminsternorthconservatives.com

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.