According to the Echo today:
BATTLE lines were being drawn today over plans to close 31 post offices across Essex.
Essex County Council leader Lord Hanningfield is expected to join south Essex MPs outside Parliament in a protest against the closure plans.
It comes after it emerged the sub-post office in the Chase, Rayleigh, as well as the Kings Parade branch in Nevendon Road, Wickford, and the Sunnymede branch in Greens Farm Lane, Billericay, are under threat.
This is part of a wave of closures across the UK that have been condemned by Lembit ?pik, Lib Dem shadow secretary of state for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform:
?These closures are completely unnecessary. It is obvious that there are ways of sustaining post offices without breaking the bank. What?s missing is the Government?s willingness to do so.
?What is the point in consultation if the views of accountants are more important than those of the customer?
?Once again vital social services are being lost to communities for the sake of money and because of an assessment process that takes little account of the effects of the changes being made.?
This has just been posted on the BBC web site today at 14:20
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/7142481.stm
The Post Office at The Chase, Rayleigh is to Closed
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Post Office to close 29 branches
The Post Office has announced that 29 out of 31 branches earmarked for closure in Essex will shut.
According to the Post Office, the cutbacks were necessary to make the service sustainable.
Seven branches will close in mid Essex, four in the south of the county, 14 in north Essex and four in the west.
Essex County Council leader Lord Hanningfield said: “This is a disgraceful result. I am truly saddened that this decision has been made.”
There has been a reprieve for the post office in Warley Road near Brentwood and Honeycroft, in Lawford, near Manningtree.
Instead, the Post Office is proposing to close Henham Stores branch, in High Street, Bishop’s Stortford, and the Little Bentley branch at Bentley Manor Barns, Church Road.
There will now be a six week consultation on the two new additions to the list.
Lord Hanningfield said: “We will continue to fight these closures using every avenue and opportunity we have, and I will be seeking an urgent meeting with the government minister with responsibility for post offices.”
The full list of closures:
The Street, White Notley
Moreton, Ongar
Willingale Village Hall, Willingale
Cherry Tree Rise, Station Way, Buckhurst Hill
Grange Hill, Chigwell
Kirby Cross, Thorpe Road, Frinton-On-Sea
Naze Park, Hall Lane, Walton-On-The-Naze
Bicknacre Main Road, Chelmsford
Great Braxted Tiptree Road, Great Braxted
Eight Ash Green Halstead Road, Colchester
Wrabness, Station Road, Wrabness
Little Hallingbury Village Hall, Lower Road, Little Hallingbury
Mole Hill Green, Takeley,
Quendon PO Stores, Rickling Green Road, Quendon
Howe Street, Howe Street village
Kings Parade, Nevendon Road, Wickford
Sunnymede, Greens Farm Lane, Billericay
Bocking Church Street, Braintree
Panfield Lane, Braintree
Hanging Hill Lane, Brentwood
Parsons Heath, Harwich Road, Colchester
Pownall Crescent, Colchester
North Station Road, Colchester
Allnuts Road, Epping
Lindsey Street, Epping
Parkeston, Garland Road, Harwich
Freeland Road, Clacton-On-Sea
The Chase, Rayleigh
Rowntree Way, Saffron Walden
Very sad news indeed for local communities.
I am very sorry that this has happened. Although A member of the Labour Party I strongly disagree with this decision. I feel that we have let down the people that we are supposed to serve.
Nobody’s going blame your personally Angelina! But this is a bad decision.
The Labour Party seems happy to exploit the almost inexhaustable loyalty of some of its members. Maureen Vince went down to defeat in Rochford, because she was a well-liked councillor standing for a disliked party.
Maureen Vince has earned a lot of respect and admiration. It is because of people like her that I joined the party. I have always held traditional Labour beliefs and although there are occasions like this one when I disagree with decisions made by my party. It is still the party that most closely matches those beliefs. Locally I have meet many great people in my party who work hard for their local communities who believe in a fair and just society for all. I became a parish councillor because I too wished to serve those around me in accordance with my beliefs and to the best of my ability.