Post Office spurned £750k gift to refurbish Highbury branch

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A PUBLIC meeting heard how the Post Office was offered premises in a new development in Highbury by the Town Hall, plus £750,000 for refurbishment work, but flatly turned it down.

Islington Council leader Councillor Richard Watts described on Monday night how he had even offered the Post Office temporary accommodation nearby until the development of Highbury and Islington station square begins in a few years.

Despite being invited to attend the meeting about proposed closures, the Post Office cancelled its speaker at short notice.

Cllr Watts said: “You only have to see the queues outside Highbury post office to know there is a need for a service.

“We have done everything possible to convince the Post Office of that need. We have even offered them a new purpose-built building with cash to get started but they have still turned us down.”

The Holloway branch will be franchised to another retail organisation, Highbury and Islington branches closed and a new post office opened in Upper Street under plans now out for consultation.

Labour MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Emily Thornberry spoke at the meeting at Ronalds Road, Holloway, organised by the Save Our Post Offices Campaign.
Ms Thornberry said she was really “fed up” with the Post Office, a limited company whose shareholder is the government, “but not half as fed up as my constituents”.

She added: “They don’t seem to have any idea about what they are doing apart from cutting staff and reducing the service. Not only will the new post office in Upper Street not be big enough to fulfill the need in the community but it is my understanding that it will not have proper disabled access.”

Mr Corbyn complained that plans to franchise the Holloway post office would probably mean it would be placed at the back of a supermarket.
“Holloway is a very busy area and needs a proper, fully-staffed post office like the one we have at present,” he said.

Geoff Poole, Communication Workers Union official, said: “Don’t be taken in by the Post Office’s sham consultation.
“According to their own official code of practice the consultation is not about whether Highbury Corner post office is closed and Holloway Road post office is sold off, it is only about how that happens.

“This is cost-cutting which can only lead to poorer service, longer queues and fewer jobs.”