London Mayor Ken Livingstone has called on central government to halt the closure of local Post Offices in the capital. The Mayor’s comments were contained in his response to the Government’s Post Office Network consultation.
A consultation document issued by the Department for Trade and Industry last December stated the department would “provide support for a restructuring of the network with up to 2500 closures within that framework which will maintain a national network” and raised the prospect of thousands of in the capital.
Mayor Livingstone used his response to draw attention to “the disproportionate effect of previous Post Office closures on the capita” and the role the network plays in London’s economy and communities.
The Mayor also voiced opposition to Government proposals to change the requirement of a Post Office within half a mile of 90 per cent of Londoners to a new proximity of one mile.
Mayor Livingstone said past closures “had a severe impact on local communities for many of whom the Post Office is a vital local amenity” and called the proposal to close more branches “simply unacceptable”.
Voicing his support for the Future for our Post Office campaign Mr Livingstone said London’s projected population growth meant the capital needed “more, not less Post Offices.”
