Residents outraged over post office closure

11:16am Friday 4th January 2008

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THERE was a first class turn out at a protest over the proposed closure of the London Road Post Office in Marlborough.

About 50 protestors gathered outside the shop yesterday together with town councillors.

Town Crier Alf Johnson rang his bell and called out: "Help save the London Post Office."

It is one of three post offices in the Marlborough area - the others are at Avebury and Manningford - threatened with closure.

The Mayor of Marlborough Peggy Dow organised yesterday's protest outside the London Road Post Office that has been run by Malcolm and Sally Graham for the past two years.

Coun Dow estimates that London road Post Office serves almost 1,000 homes in the east of the town and almost 1,700 people.

They face an extra six or seven minutes walk to the alternative Post Office facilities at the One Stop shop in High Street.

Coun Dow said: "That may not sound far but for OAP's who live at the top of the Mead estate it will mean doubling their journey to get pensions, post a parcel or use any other post office services."

John Thomson, vice-chairman of Kennet Credit Union, said: "Many organisations like the credit union use London Road Post Office for banking.

"The money from our collections in Marlborough is banked there."

Speaking for the OAP's Wenna Fraser, 85, who lives in nearby Churchill Court retirement flats and uses a mobility buggy to get around said: "I do practically all my shopping there.

"We get our papers from there and some get their pensions there, too."

The London Road sub post office in Marlborough is a well-used facility serving the eastern half of the town.

Post Office Ltd wants to close 234 post offices in Wiltshire and West Berkshire.

It said the Government had told them that 2,500 of the 14,000 post offices in the country must close to "support a more sustainable network in the future".

Many people depend on this shop not only for its post office counter but also for newspapers and confectionery.

It is feared that without the post office salary the shop would no longer be viable.

Mr and Mrs Graham, in common with all sub post office owners, are barred from speaking out.

London Road post office serves the town's east ward with its massive St Margarets Mead and Cherry Orchard estates plus London Road and Salisbury Road homes and the smaller estates of Priorsfield, Barrow Close and Stonebridge Close.

A further 190 homes are proposed on the lower school site when St John's Community College eventually moves to its new single site buildings.

Coun Dow has asked everyone who would suffer from the closure of London Road PO to write letters of objection to: "National Consultation Team, Post office Ltd. Freepost Consultation Team or to e-mail consultation@postoffice.co.uk.