Reading Liberal Democrats

Gareth Epps, Liberal Democrat councillor for Katesgrove and Parliamentary candidate for Reading East, has challenged the basis for the closures of Post Offices in Reading East, in particular a ‘phantom bus service’ which the Post Office says would serve residents around the threatened Basingstoke Road office – but does not in fact exist.

Gareth, who collected more than 2,000 petition signatures from local residents and employees opposing the closures and distributed thousands of leaflets drawing residents’ attention to the closures, has written to Postwatch to draw their attention to the phantom bus, as well as to issues of the vulnerability of customers which have to be considered as part of the consultation process.

He has spoken to the Regional Chair of Postwatch and has written to formally request they raise these issues with Post Office Ltd as a matter of urgency. And he has not ruled out the possibility of a legal challenge if a closure goes ahead in breach of the Post Office’s own rules.

The bus, quoted in the ‘Access Statement’ published by Post Office Ltd, is supposed to run from 71 Basingstoke Road to the Post Office at Northumberland Avenue. However, no such service exists- to make the journey by public transport, residents would need to walk or catch the bus to Whitley Street and change onto the no 5.

Gareth says:
‘Postwatch has a full legal duty to ensure Post Office Ltd take their decisions in line with the criteria set down by the Labour Government. If they go ahead with the closure of the Basingstoke Road office based on a non-existent bus service that will leave the decision open to challenge.

‘Similarly, some of the areas surrounding Basingstoke Road Post Office rank high in official Government statistics showing a high number of vulnerable people. I want to see Postwatch examine this information in detail, alongside information showing that residents in Caversham and South & East Reading will be left more than a mile from their nearest Post Office if these closures go ahead – in breach of Government guidance.

‘I do not believe the Post Office Ltd has demonstrated it has followed the Government’s rules. I don’t agree with the premise of shutting down valuable Post Offices in the first place; however, I will do everything in my power to challenge any decision to close a Post Office without that decision being fully justified.

‘There is disappointment at the Tories and Labour on Reading Council ganging up to stop the Council formally opposing the closure of a single Reading Post Office. The thousands of residents who signed the Liberal Democrat petition deserve to see their elected representatives taking active steps to stop the closures, and that is exactly what we are doing.’

Editor’s notes:
Cllr Gareth Epps and Reading Liberal Democrats handed a petition containing over 2,000 signatures from local people as part of the formal Post Office consultation. Liberal Democrats are campaigning nationally against Labour’s Post Office closure plans.