Meeting to discuss future of Burnley Post Office

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/ne ... st_Office/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A CRUNCH meeting has been called over the future of Burnley’s crown post office - amid speculation a commercial partner may have been found.

Staff at the Hargreaves Road post office have been told that a potential franchisee has been identified for the town centre business.

More than 5,000 signatures have been collected by campaigners as part of a petition opposing the sell-off, part of a wider Post Office programme affecting key locations across the UK.

And now Post Office officials and a national union leader are set to debate the issue at a public meeting at Burnley Mechanics on Tuesday (July2).


Coun Andy Tatchell, the borough’s deputy mayor and a Communication Workers Union branch secretary, has expressed fears about ‘high quality’ staff being lost and public services being cut back.

He said: “There is someone interested in the Burnley crown post office and the staff there have received a letter.

“All 76 of the post offices which were part of this exercise have had expressions of interest in them, as we thought they would.

“But we believe that if there is enough public support for our crown post office then the likes of WHSmith, Dixon’s or whoever else is interested might think twice.”

Campaigners have secured the attendance of Andy Furey, a CWU national negotiator, Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle has been invited and council leader Coun Julie Cooper, who has also been heavily involved in the campaign, will also be there.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at the Manchester Road venue from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.