Council and democracy

Post office closures bad for business and bad for communities

With average queuing times already up to 26 minutes at the Croydon High Street office, the council fears that the planned closure of seven of the borough's 37 post offices will overwhelm remaining branches.

Said cabinet member for regeneration and economic development, Councillor Tim Pollard: "The closures couldn't come at a worse time for Croydon when more people are forecast to be coming to Croydon to live and work. We're making it clear to Post Office Ltd that these closures will be bad for business and bad for our communities.

"We're asking them to take our concerns on board and look at how they can meet demand in a borough that is already London's largest metropolitan centre and set to grow through regeneration projects and improved transport links."

Regeneration projects, including the Park Place and Gateway developments in central Croydon, will attract workers and increase the burden on remaining post office branches. Regeneration will also mean more homes being built - The London Plan sets an annual target of 1,100 new homes up to 2017, one of the highest contributions to housing capacity of any London borough. Improved transport links, including the Thameslink programme and the East London Line tube extension to West Croydon and Upper Norwood, will also bring more workers into the borough.

Yet London is already comparatively poorly served by the post office, with just one branch for every 8,460 residents compared to the national average of one branch for every 3,860 residents. Overall, Post Office Ltd plans to close 169 of the 852 post offices in the capital - about one in five. 

Croydon Council is therefore backing London Councils in its long standing dialogue with the post office and its lobbying to keep services as close as possible to local people. Leading councillors believe the government needs to recognise the importance of local post offices to their communities.

In expressing the council's formal opposition to the plans, Councillor Pollard has also warned that post office closures could also affect the economic viability of smaller shopping parades as post office branches attract passing trade that benefits nearby shops. And he has hit out at the six week deadline given for consultation as “totally inadequate”. Decisions are expected early in May with any closures taking place four weeks later.