Contact: Peter Black on 029 20 898744 or 07774 256123

Release: 8 September 2002

“Closure of Marlborough Road Post Office is thin end of wedge”

The confirmation by Consignia that the Marlborough Road Post Office in Brynmill is to close is the thin end of the wedge and could be the first of many such closures in Swansea, according to local Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member, Peter Black.

The decision to close the Post Office was taken on economic grounds with the Head of the Urban Post Office Network quoting losses by Post Office Limited of £3 million a week and Government plans to pay benefits and pensions directly into bank accounts. According to Mr. Black this underlines the threat that at least 10 more Swansea Post Offices could close by the end of 2005 as part of Consignia’s rationalisation of the network. A Consignia spokesperson has been quoted as saying that one in three urban post offices will close in that timescale as part of a programme that could see 300 branches disappearing from urban Wales and 3000 across the whole of the UK.

“Although we have been told that this closure programme will not start until January 2003, I think we can safely say that the Marlborough Road Post Office was in fact the first casualty of this programme of cutbacks”, said Mr. Black. “It shows that Consignia are deadly serious in their intent to close down post offices and that vital community services are under a very real threat as a result of their rationalisation programme.”

“I accept that to some extent they have been left with little choice. The UK Labour Government’s insistence on changing the way that pensions and benefits are paid will deprive most Post Offices of at least 40% of their income. The Government’s chopping and changing over a new computer system has also left Consignia with a huge bill to pick up that should have been met from public funds. What I would like to see now is for the UK Government to get its head out of the sand and realise the impact their policies are having on local community services such as the Post Office.”

“Welsh Liberal Democrats have been collecting a petition over the summer to try and persuade the Government to take action to keep Post Office branches open. The strength of feeling that we have encountered amongst the public on this is indicated by the fact that in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend alone we have now collected 10,000 signatures and growing. It is not too late for the Government to change its mind on benefit and pension payments and help to reprieve thousands of Post Offices. I hope that this time they listen.”

END

N.B. Attached photograph shows (l-r) local Liberal Democrats, Councillor Mike Day, Peter May and Peter Black AM collecting a petition to save the Marlborough Road Post Office earlier this year.