News Release

Maidstone condemns Post Office consultation

Maidstone Borough Council has condemned the Post Office’s latest proposals for public consultation about branch closures, even before the consultation has begun.  

Cabinet Member for Community Services, Cllr Mike FitzGerald, has written to the Programme Director of Post Office Limited to protest that a letter seeking background information needed by the Post Office to form its proposals was not received by the council until September, some two months after the Post Office claim to have sent it. 

Maidstone is not alone; Ashford Borough Council was also left in the dark about the consultation, following repeated requests by Postwatch – the independent watchdog for postal services, to the Post Office to send another copy.

Public consultations will take place throughout the country, and as it stands now Maidstone will be one of the first with consultation due to begin on 17 September, lasting for six weeks.

The public consultation follows the Post Office’s announcement to close 2,500 of its 14,300 branches throughout England, as part of the need to modernise and reshape the network.  The Post Office will introduce minimum access criteria, including that 99% of the population will be within three miles, and 90% within one mile of the remaining branches.

The council is now gathering information on current and future developments in the town, proposed new settlements and major road schemes that would impact the provision of Post Offices throughout the borough.

Cabinet Member for Community Services, Mike FitzGerald, said: “This situation is totally unacceptable.  I have written to the Post Office to condemn the proposed consultation.  The Post Office cannot form its proposals until it has the necessary background information on future building and other developments in the borough.  The Post Office should delay the consultation to take account of our information.”

Release date:

7 September 2007

Ref No:

ARL/070902