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Friday, 07 December 2007
Stoate lashes out at Post Office closures
Dartford MP, Dr Howard Stoate, has slammed the Post Office’s decision to press ahead with the closure of four Dartford Post Offices and its proposal to close a fifth branch in Lane End.
 
“I’m appalled by this decision,” said the MP. “No weight at all seems to have been given by the Post Office to the very strong arguments against closure put forward by a whole range of local groups and residents. It is bitterly disappointing and it will come as a body blow to hundreds of local residents, particularly the elderly who rely heavily on them.”
 
“There are some branches around the country which are used by only a handful of people each week, and to be fair to the Post Office it is difficult to see how these branches could have had a viable future, given the level of public subsidy involved in keeping them open.
 
“The branches earmarked for closure in Dartford are very popular branches however that play an important role in life of each community. Each of them had a viable operational future and a loyal customer base. It makes absolutely no sense in my view to close them.”
 
The MP has also described the Post Office’s proposal to close Lane End Branch in Darenth as “adding insult to injury” and pledged to fight it hard.
 
“Lane End enjoys very few services of its own and is cut off from other urban and village centres in the borough. It has a limited bus service into Dartford or Longfield and there is no other Post Office branch within walking distance. Closing this branch therefore would have a devastating impact on the community.”
 
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© 2008 Dr Howard Stoate - Member of Parliament for Dartford
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