Campaign success - new Post Office in Broomfield Parade

10.53.00am GMT Wed 31st Jan 2007

Lib Dems Tom Smith-Hughes (centre), Stephen Robinson (right) and colleagues campaigning to stop the Post Office closure

A Post Office will reopen on 26th February on Broomfield Parade, off Patching Hall Lane. This follows a long campaign led by the local Liberal Democrats. They collected 1500 signatures on a petition to first try and prevent closure until a new Post Office was in place.

The area has been without a Post Office since Tesco closed the Post Office in the old 'One Stop' shop in 2005. Over the past 18 months, negotiations have been long and drawn out between the prospective Post Office manager, Tesco, owners of other premises and the Post Office.

Local Liberal Democrat Councillor Tom Smith-Hughes has been in touch on a weekly basis with many of the parties concerned.

Said Cllr. Smith-Hughes, "This was necessary to ensure that the 'show was kept on the road', despite a whole range of bureaucratic and other obstacles that threatened to stop the new Post Office.

"We have been without this important community facility for over a year. However, the huge community backing of the Lib Dem-led campaign made Tesco and the Post Office realise they had to respond to the community's concerns even when the Post Office had closed. Without the campaign I am sure this welcome outcome would not have been achieved."

Footnote

Tesco plans for further expansion - see http://www.everylittlehurts.org.uk/ and http://www.tescopoly.org/