Todmorden Royal Mail office debate - vow to fight any threat

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Todmorden Royal Mail office debate - vow to fight any threat of closure

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COUNCILLORS have vowed to fight to save Todmorden delivery office.
More than 40 people attended a public meeting at Todmorden Town Hall to discuss the future of the Rise Lane delivery office in response to rumours - which Royal Mail has denied - that there are plans to close the depot.

Coun Ruth Goldthorpe (Lib D
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em, Todmorden), who chaired the meeting, said: "We are out of the woods for the moment but we could end up a heck of a lot deeper in the forest if we don't watch out.

"We will fight to the bitter end, I will promise you that."

Paul Fenney, area delivery rep from the Communication Workers Union (CWU), said rumours do not start from nothing.

He wondered what effect the closure of Oldham Mail Centre and transfer of work to Manchester will have on getting the mail to Todmorden.

He said: "I'm confident that they will never be able to prove that the quality of service that the postmen and women are giving to Todmorden will be better from Rochdale.

"As long as we keep campaigning that we want the delivery office to stay in Todmorden and we know that we have got all the public support in Todmorden, then we will fight all the way to make sure that Todmorden delivery office stays in Todmorden."

Ted Stead, CWU branch secretary for Oldham and Rochdale, said: "The driving force in this is saving money.

"Todmorden is working fine. We have a good delivery in this town.

"It's 100 per cent a cost saving exercise and we are saying 'No, we are not having this'."

Roger Spencer, from Todmorden Post Office, said: "We have lost two collections in town already.

"We are losing bits and bits to Rochdale all the time."

Todmorden town councillor Hilary Myers said there is no smoke without fire.

She said: "The main concern from the public is where do we go to pick up our parcels if there is no delivery office?"

Speaking before the meeting Steph Booth, chairman of Todmorden Labour Party, slammed rumours that the sorting office is at threat of closure as "scaremongering" and "political mischief making".

Ms Booth said: "Both the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats have received letters from Royal Mail assuring us that there is no truth in these rumours and that the sorting office is not going to close.

"It is deeply irresponsible to be spreading rumours about job losses at a time when we are deep in recession."

She added: "The sorting office has a vital role in our community and we take any concerns about its future very seriously.

"But our discussions with Royal Mail have given us no reason to believe there is any imminent threat of closure."

Royal Mail did not attend the meeting.

Nearly 800 people have signed a petition to save the delivery office. It has been presented to Calderdale Council by Coun Olwen Jennings (Lib Dem, Todmorden).