Proposed closure of Kensington High Street Post Office: Lib Dems demand answers

3.10.00pm GMT Fri 7th Dec 2007

The Kensington & Chelsea Liberal Democrats have pledged to "fight vigorously" to save the post office on Kensington High Street. The party has demanded that if the current site closes as proposed in 2009, then a new post office must be opened on or around the high street without any break in service to residents.

At a meeting of the Major Planning Development Committee at Kensington Town Hall on 4th December, representatives for the Post Office revealed that the branch on Kensington High Street, next to the Odeon cinema, will close in 2009. The Post Office have commissioned an architect to draw up plans to convert the site into a residential development.

Merlene Emerson, the Liberal Democrat candidate for the West Central constituency of the London Assembly, said:

"We have urgently submitted a formal representation to Post Office Limited, asking for clarification on the revelations made by their architect at the Town Hall.

"We will fight vigorously the closure of this crucial post office branch unless it is relocated in the immediate vicinity without any break in service.

"We have demanded that Post Office Limited provide an assurance that no development of the site will occur until the post office branch is relocated to that alternative site."

In addition, the Liberal Democrats have asked Post Office Limited to make a commitment that, after a new post office branch is opened in the immediate vicinity, any eventual residential planning proposal for the current site will include affordable housing on-site. "This is important because Labour and Conservative councillors have now united to give planning permission to the developers of the Odeon site next door, with absolutely no affordable housing on-site," said Merlene Emerson. "This must not happen again."

The Lib Dems are stressing that the immediate priority must be to secure the future of a post office branch on or immediately around Kensington High Street. "There must be no net loss for residents," said Emerson.

The Lib Dems point out that further north into Kensington, the post office in Westbourne Grove has already closed, against the wishes of residents from all over the Portobello area.

"The Government claim there is no alternative to the closure programme," said Emerson. "They are completely wrong. The Liberal Democrats have put forward a fully funded plan for an additional £2 billion investment in the Post Office that would create a thriving network."

The Liberal Democrat plan keeps the Post Office Ltd in the public sector and enables Royal Mail employees to get a share in their company through a radical employee share ownership Trust, similar to the John Lewis Partnership. Royal Mail will take a new ownership model, with the sale of some of its shares providing the investment needed by post offices.

The Liberal Democrat plan would enable us to:

• Open new post office branches where they are needed;

• Keep the Post Office in the public sector;

• Make the Royal Mail into a successful company, with new investment freedoms;

• Give Royal Mail staff a guaranteed stake in their company through employee share holding and participation;

• Protect and improve the service to customers that provides a daily delivery at a uniform price across the country.