Post office in Westcliffe, Scunthorpe
The petition of residents of Scunthorpe County,
Declares that residents are opposed to the closure of the Post Office branch on the Westcliff Estate in Scunthorpe.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges North Lincolnshire Council to work with residents of the Westcliff Estate in Scunthorpe to try and stop the closure of the Post Office.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Nic Dakin , Official Report, 08 February 2017; Vol. 621, c. 574.]
[P002009]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Margot James):
The Government recognise the value of Post Office services to local communities across the country and understands that any potential change to service provision can cause concern for the community affected.
The Post Office operates as an independent business and the Government and local authorities do not play a role in day to day operational responsibilities of the company, which includes decisions on the provision and location of individual Post Office services.
Government understand that a planned redevelopment of the local shopping precinct may result in the current Westcliffe Post Office closing. The Post Office appreciates how important its services are to local communities and is committed to maintaining access to services wherever possible. Unplanned closures can occur as a result of a situation beyond the control of the Post Office, as may be the case with the Westcliffe Post Office. Where this happens, the Post Office works hard to try to maintain services to the community, though this is not always possible.
Government understand that the current position is that the Westcliffe Post Office service remains open, operating from the Co-op. If the community has further concerns regarding the provision of local Post Office services it should raise these direct with the Post Office.