Greens say Council should do more for Post Offices

5th May 2009

The Greens have called on the Council to do more to help Post Offices
threatened with permanent closure. A Green motion to full council seeks support for a five point plan put together by Sheffield Communities Against Post Office Closures (SCAPOC). Than plan provides local authority support to help maintain the post office network.

Coun Bernard Little said, "Post offices are at the heart of the local economy. The council Post Office Members' Working Group has found that post office closure has led to older people finding it difficult to get to a post office and that people intend to go back to their local PO when it is re-opened. They also want branches to offer council services. A citywide network providing these services will provide stability to local communities facing uncertain times.

We want the council to support the Sheffield Communities Against Post Office Closure (SCAPOC)'s five point plan. This would mean :

- Putting Council and community services together in neighbourhood post offices

- A "People's Post Office Bank" to help financially excluded people and local businesses

- Giving the £750 million currently earmarked for Post Office Ltd to Local
Authorities so that the Post Office network can be run as a local government
service

- Sheffield City Council using the powers in the Sustainable Communities Act to maintain a local Post Office network

- Helping Community Assemblies to maintain local shopping and service centres which include Post Offices

These measures will make branch reopenings a viable long term proposition. Council leader Paul Scriven said he would oppose post office closures with every last breath in his body. The Green Party is determined to hold him to that promise. Proposals to reopen two branches for a two year trial period fall way short of what is possible and what is needed. "