Campaigners takes to the streets as threat looms for main city Post Office

6.11.42pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 6th Aug 2008

Sarah Carr and 'Save our Post Offices' campaigners hit the streets. The list of offices to be axed is due to be released on August 27th.

As residents await the august consultation on the future of Herefordshire's post offices, Sarah Carr, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Hereford and South Herefordshire and a team of volunteers have again been out campaigning to demonstrate the strength of opposition against post office closures and the importance of post offices to our local communities.

On Tuesday 22nd July, Sarah Carr and members of her team surveyed visitors to Hereford's main post office in St Peter's Square asking how long they had queued and what was the purpose of the visit to the post office that day. Sarah's impetus for the survey was the controversial and massively unpopular move of Worcester's main post office to the 1st floor of WHSmith.

Sarah Carr said,

"A city of Hereford's size needs a dedicated main post office. When people are already queuing 20 minutes to send a parcel or get their pension it would be ridiculous if Hereford's main post office was to reduce in size.

"My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I will continue our long-standing campaign to save our post offices across the county, which have been closed under both Conservative and Labour governments, because we are hugely concerned about the impact of these closures on local people in our towns and villages. I will also remain vigilant to threats to major Crown post offices such as in St Peter's Square in Hereford which are subject to separate consultation."

Reasons for visits to the post office recorded by Sarah and her team included money withdrawal including pensions and benefits, paying bills, sending parcels, oversized envelopes, special delivery, car tax renewal, travel money, passport renewal and stamps. Queuing times ranged from 2 minutes to 20 minutes with many visitors turning on their heel at the size of the queues. Sarah and her team heard massive opposition to post office closures, any downsizing of Hereford's main post office and frustration at the length of queues but with much praise for staff members working behind the counter at the post office.