Local MP claims Royal Mail's behaviour "thoroughly disingenuous"

On hearing news of Royal Mail's plans for the Hammersmith Post Office, local MP Andrew Slaughter stated "Back in 2002 as Leader of the Council I was part of a massive protest from the users of North End Road Post Office campaigning to keep it open.

"This protest was ignored as Royal Mail argued that the users could easily get a bus to Hammersmith Broadway and use the post office there. They subsequently closed three branch offices.

"Now they announce that they are closing Hammersmith Post office and transferring their services to a nearby W H Smith store in the King street - only another bus ride away if you are elderly. What makes matters worse is that this is a trial involving only six post offices.

"Royal Mail say that if the trials are successful they could extend to other UK Post Offices they are silent on what happens if the trial isn’t successful .Presumably another closure and another resource lost to the people of the borough.

Royal Mail have behaved in a thoroughly disingenuous way about the future of Post Offices in West London and this service, which is relied on mainly by the elderly and vulnerable seems to be under constant attack."

This is not the first time that Andrew Slaughter has taken on the Post Office.  Last year he demanded action over local post office services and residents' serious concerns over the recent relocation of a branch in W14 and the length of queues across branches in the Hammersmith and Fulham and Ealing, Acton and Shepherds Bush area.

The average waiting time at Hammersmith Broadway was been recorded by Postwatch (the independent watchdog for postal services) as being 8 to 10 minutes, a level which Post Office Ltd believe to be reasonable.

July 17, 2006