'Hands off Post Offices' plea

4:45am Tuesday 22nd April 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

POST offices earmarked for closure in York should be left intact, while councillors investigate taking them over, a local politician argued today.

Two branches in York have already shut and been stripped out, with the office at Clifton Green set to close in a fortnight. The future of the Micklegate branch remains uncertain.

Coun David Scott, leader of the Labour opposition on City of York Council, today urged Post Office Ltd to leave the postal counters and equipment in the post offices in Clifton and Micklegate, in case the authority takes them on. He has written to Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton, urging him to put any demolition work on hold.

At a meeting earlier this month, the council agreed to look into taking control of the seemingly-doomed branches.

Coun Scott said: "Sadly, the stripping out of Haxby Road and Fulford sub-post offices has already been completed.

"Clifton Green and Micklegate remain in operation, with a decision on Micklegate sub-post office's future still awaited.

"I have called on Post Office Ltd to take no action in terms of stripping the buildings out until such time as we know if our running them is going to be viable.

"If we are able to do this, then stripping them out of the fixtures and fittings will have been a complete waste of time and money. I hope the Post Office, after its bungled consultation and flawed criteria for closing these post offices, can offer this small gesture in return.

"There would have to be extra money put in to replace these fittings which would obviously make the decision less favourable. Post Office needs to work with us and give the council a little time to see if this proposal can work."

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: "We are very willing to work with City of York Council on any proposals to fund the running of post office services. However, the Network Change process will continue in the meantime."

She said the decision on Micklegate would be made "as soon as possible."