The campaigns to reopen three Wirral Post Offices have been given the backing of Wirral Council, following closure of branches at Grove Road (Wallasey), Saughall Bridge (Moreton) and Upton.
Councillors Jenny Johnson (West Kirby & Thurstaston) and Lesley Rennie (Wallasey) sought all-party support to put pressure on the Post Office, following appeals by residents and businesses affected by the closures.
Now, following a vote at this week’s meeting of all 66 councillors, the Authority is putting it’s weight behind the calls.
A last-minute attempt by Labour Councillors to avoid any responsibility by the previous Labour Government was defeated.
In Wallasey Village, more than 1,000 residents have backed the campaign.
Councillor Lesley Rennie said:
“The state-owned Post Office needs to be reminded why it received substantial taxpayer support. Since 2010, 11,500 branches have been kept open and, in the last few years, we’ve actually seen a net increase in numbers.
“This disproves the claims by the Post Office that the closures are for economic reasons. We are grateful for the support of all four parties in the Council for this latest stage of our campaign and we once again urge the Post Office to reopen all three branches.”
Councillor Jenny Johnson added: “Between 1997 and 2010, some 7,462 post offices around the country were closed, leaving many residents without access to a post office and putting further pressure on retail areas as yet more services were withdrawn.
“Together with the Horizon IT scandal, this has had a devastating effect on the owners, the staff and their customers. This week’s decision by Wirral Council will, we hope, put additional pressure on the Post Office management to rethink the closures.”
