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| Response to the Post Office consultation on the proposed closure of the Post Office at 434 West Green Road, Tottenham. |
| Tuesday, 01 April 2008 |
Please find below David Lammy's letter to the Post Office in response to plans to close 434 West Green Road.
Ms Anita Turner
Network Development Manager
Post Office Ltd
c/o National Consultation Team
FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM
01 April 2008
Dear Ms Turner,
RE: Response to the proposed closure of the Post Office Branch at 434 West Green Road, Tottenham, London, N15 3PT.
As Tottenham’s local MP I am seriously concerned about the proposed closure of the post office at 434 West Green Road. It is highly valued by the community, centrally located in a row of local shops and is well served by public transport; providing a real focal point for local residents and businesses.
We all know that post offices play an important part in the social and economic life of all communities. This is especially true in Tottenham where the levels of deprivation and poor access to financial services can be particularly high. I am deeply concerned that when we are working hard to try and regenerate areas like West Green Road that valuable resources like the local post office, which brings people into an area, can suddenly be removed after only the briefest consultation. Like many others I do not think six weeks has been long enough to have a meaningful dialogue with the community about the removal of such a well loved and valued resource.
I have set out below my objections to the proposed closure of this post office they are based on an assessment of the impact such a closure would have on the community I represent, the flawed business case presented by the Post Office; as well as the strong opposition to the proposed closure from local residents, community leaders, politicians and businesses.
During the short six week consultation period alongside local councillors and residents I have done my best to build a campaign and body of evidence that provides a clear rationale as to why West Green Post Office should remain open. In doing so I have responded to the evidence that is available in public domain justifying the closure, but would like to put on record that I feel the level information available has been limited, unclear and in some case contradictory. I also deplore the ‘gagging’ of individual sub-post masters who have been threatened and prevented from organising and speaking out against these closure plans.
The Post Office Business Case
Based on the Post Office’s transaction figures for 434 West Green Road of between 1500-1999 a week, I am surprised by the decision to earmark this branch for closure. Compared with many of the other branches across London and elsewhere in the closure programme this customer usage figure is far higher than many of the other post offices earmarked for closure. It is located in a thriving local card and stationers shop and when I have visited the branch it has been busy with people queuing out of the door. I feel that these usage figures provide an ample customer base to sustain a branch if the proper investment and support were provided.
Given that the Harringay/Green Lanes and Wood Green branches already have between 3,500-3,999 and 6,000-6,499 transactions a week respectively, and in my experience are already heavily used, often with long queues, expecting them to absorb the overflow from a closed West Green Road Post Office, whilst still offering an acceptable level of service, seems ill thought-out without a substantial degree of new investment and staff to boost capacity.
I also feel there has been a lack of transparency and information when it comes to the rationale behind the Post Office’s decision. The pack I was sent as an MP was cumbersome and across London serious questions have been asked about why certain branches have been chosen for closure. I would like to know whether or not 434 West Green Road is actually losing money. Given the high number of customer transactions a week I believe that it is viable and providing a valuable service that could not be guaranteed at the alternative branches.
I am also concerned about the negative impact on local residents who already use Harringay and Wood Green Post Offices and already complain of the long queues and poor service. I feel that there is a compelling customer service case for keeping West Green Road open and that there should be no moves to close the branch without a full assessment of the impact on existing customers of all local branches and what steps would be taken to ensure extra capacity is in place.
The Social Impact of Closure
As you may be aware, Tottenham is one of the most deprived areas in the country. West Green, Harringay, and St Ann’s Wards all served by this post office are respectively 84th, 119th and 77th most deprived in London. With 38.1% of households coming from Council or Social Housing and a 6.7% unemployment rate, higher than the average in Haringey and 55th out of all wards in London - West Green needs its post offices.
Not only is the local area deprived, but it also has 8.2% of households who are single pensioners and over 12% who are aged over 60, many of whom rely on West Green Post Office as a vital social and financial hub. As well as a large number of disabled people, 15.1% of people in the ward have limiting long-term illnesses, including 9.3% of those of working age – they also rely on the post office and may have difficulty reaching the alternative proposed branches 0.7 and 0.9 miles away.
These statistics are important because of the profile of post office customers and the disproportionate impact post office closures have on the most vulnerable people in society. For instance I have discovered that 74% of customers who live in deprived urban areas use a post office at least once a week, compared to 51% nationally, and 56% in rural areas. Up to 35% of people living in urban deprived areas do not have access to bank accounts, so use post offices to pay bills and access cash. This picture closely mirrors my experience of life in Tottenham and West Green.
West Green Ward contains no Banks or Building Societies and few free cash machines; this means that the most vulnerable people in society, including lone parents and families, people with disabilities, people on low incomes and the elderly who rely heavily on Post Office branches to access their money and basic financial services. For many it is not just the convenience of a local branch which is at stake, but their social and financial life line.
Post Offices in urban areas are also much more likely to be an anchor for the local economy, with those people accessing cash at their post offices spending it in the surrounding shops. This is especially true on West Green Road where I fear its closure could have a knock-on effect on local businesses, especially given that many residents would be forced to travel out of the area to access their money, not returning to spend their money in local shops. This has an added effect given the high number of ‘financially vulnerable’ people i.e. those having difficulty in managing their finances and without access to bank accounts, credit cards, internet access etc in the area.
I would expect that given all these factors and the recognition by the Post Office of the role it has in such urban communities that a full impact assessment is made of the consequences on the lives of local people of this branch closure.
Geography and Local Businesses
It is not just local residents who are at risk, but also local businesses who rely on the post office. The business structure of Haringey is characterised by small and medium enterprises – and in West Green, there are only 5 businesses which employ 20 or more people out of the 130 VAT registered businesses in the ward. West Green Post Office is vital to these shops and businesses where access to the Post Office is a vital part of their day-to-day operations.
Many residents also tell me about their fears of having to travel to busier branches in Green Lanes and Wood Green, elderly residents are particularly concerned about losing a branch they know very well and the journey through busy shopping streets or on crowded buses.
I would also note that in West Green Ward, some 49% of households do not have a car, and would therefore be reliant on public transport in order to reach alternative Post Offices.
1. 509 Green Lanes
A: 434 West Green Road Branch (earmarked for closure)
B: 509 Green Lanes (proposed alternative 1)
Although the distance to the Green Lanes branch is only 0.7 miles, this represents a bus journey of some 18 minutes, including a walk at either end, and the need to cross a very busy traffic interchange between West Green Road and Green Lanes:
2. 191 High Road, Wood Green
A: 434 West Green Road Branch (earmarked for closure)
B: 191 High Road, Wood Green Branch (proposed alternative 2)
The distance to the alternative Post Office branch at Wood Green is almost a mile, and invoves a journey down the very busy shopping centre at Wood Green, about which a number of elderly and vulnerable residents have expressed serious concerns to me during this consultation. By bus this journey takes half an hour each way.
(some maps have been removed here that are included in the original letter)
Views of Local People
Since 19th February, when the Post Office announced their closure plans, I have worked alongside the community, councillors and local businesses, leading the campaign to fight for the post office at 434 West Green Road. The response has been clear and overwhelming; all responses I have received oppose the closure.
I am submitting alongside this response: two local petitions containing 162 and 156 names respectively, responses from the Haringey Independent Newspaper Campaign, a response from the Haringey Federation of Residents Associations, online comments and quotes and testimonies of local politicians and residents.
I trust that each signatory to these petitions will be given full weight in your consideration, and not treated as single deputations. I urge you to see, as I do, each signature as an individual expression of the heartfelt passion the community has for its Post Office.
It is clear from these responses that residents from West Green and across Haringey are united in their anger and opposition to the Post Office's proposals. I hope that these hundreds of residents will be listened to and their views taken into account alongside the arguments I have submitted above. I also know from talking to local residents and coverage in the press that many many more people have also sent individual responses to the consultation.
Community and Political Support
The response to this consultation from all sections of the community and across the political spectrum has been overwhelming and I include a few illustrative comments below.
“I can not in good conscience support these plans. Post offices are a vital community resource as well as being a place where people can gather together. Post offices have a vital place in the social fabric of our communities; Haringey Labour will fight to make sure this is retained."
Haringey Leader Councillor George Meehan
“I am extremely disappointed at these proposals. The post office network plays vital role in the social and economic wellbeing of local communities, and I feel very strongly that this must be protected.
“I am especially concerned that access criteria designed to protect vulnerable customers in remote or deprived urban areas has been raised from ½ mile to a mile – I led a London Assembly Health and Public Services Committee investigation into the future of post offices and made it clear to the government that the current access criteria should remain in place.”
Joanne McCartney AM
Haringey Council also organised a special scrutiny commission to investigate the Post Office’s plans. I understand that the Post Office attended the event on 26th March and I hope that the OSB response will be taken fully into account.
"The meeting is an opportunity to gather solid evidence of the impact of these planned closures on local people, and make sure that all that evidence is taken into account when final decisions are taken.
"The post office will put their position and take questions, and there will also be a chance for residents who are directly affected to let us know what closing particular post offices will mean for them."
Cllr Gideon Bull, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee
“this Post Office is vital to local residents including parishioners and businesses. The alternative post offices in Wood Green and on Green Lanes are too far away, especially for elderly and vulnerable residents and parishioners”
Germaine Mohammed, St John Vianney Church Parish Administrator
Post Closure Plans
I am committed to fighting for the future of the Post Office at 434 West Green Road, however, I acknowledge that as a community we must look at the possibility of closure. I have very serious concerns about how the closure may be implemented and fear a rapid ‘slash and burn’ process. I would appreciate a detailed response if the closure is to go ahead on how it will be managed.
I have already voiced my concerns about the capacity situation at the proposed alternative branches. Furthermore, other post office branches across Tottenham and Haringey, as well as local Banks and Building societies, all suffer from long queues and access to free cash machines tends to be sparse.
It appears that the network coverage analysis undergone before this process started fails to take into account the impact of the closure on the rest of the network. I dispute the idea that telephone services or the internet can be a meaningful and viable alternative in Tottenham, especially given the levels of deprivation and age profile of the users of the Post Office in West Green Road.
In conclusion, I believe the closure of the Post Office at 434 West Green Road would have a devastating impact on local residents, the local economy and the level of service offered by the Post Office across Haringey. I consider the plans, timescale and information offered during the consultation period to be unsatisfactory and that the alternatives proposed are far from sufficient to replace the branches we lose. I ask that my views and concerns as well as those of local residents I represent are fully considered and that where necessary answers are provided to our questions.
I ask that the Post Office at 434 West Green is kept open and that the Post Office invests in its future. Given that the campaign is still ongoing I would also appreciate the chance to feed in further information and discuss this issue in person with you or a suitable representative.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
David Lammy
Member of Parliament for Tottenham
To read more about earlier stages of the campaign please click here.
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