Planned closure of Wood Green Post Office
The petition of residents of the constituency of Hornsey and Wood Green
Declares that the closure of Wood Green Post Office would be a loss for the local community; further declares that this will mean many residents including the elderly, those with mobility issues, and those who may struggle to afford public transport will have to travel over a mile for essential Post Office services; further that this will leave Wood Green, the only metropolitan centre in north London, without a Post Office; notes that 8 in 10 “temporary” Post Office closures remain closed for over one year and almost 6 in 10 for over two years.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to take into account the concerns of the petitioners and take immediate action to ensure the Post Office prevent the closure of this branch.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Catherine West, Official Report, 30 January 2023; Vol. 727, c. 314.]
[P002799]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kevin Hollinrake):
Government recognise how important post offices are to their communities, and thus fully appreciate the impact a post office branch closure can have on a community. The Government-set access criteria ensure that, however the network changes, services remain within local reach of all citizens. The access criteria will ensure that 90% of the population are within one mile of their nearest post office branch and that 99% of the population are within three miles of their nearest post office branch. The nearest branch from the recently closed Wood Green post office is the Turnpike Lane sub post office, 105 Turnpike Lane, London, N8 ODY, a distance of 0.4 miles.
Government understand that Post Office Limited currently has some applications in progress for a new location for the post office in Wood Green. There will however be a short temporary closure period while the Post Office progresses these applications and finalises plans for the branch.
As a more general point, while publicly owned, Post Office operates at arm’s length from Government as a commercial business with its own board. The management of the branch network is an operational responsibility for Post Office Limited. It would therefore not be appropriate for Government to intervene in this situation.