Post Office plans on hold for polls

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/stor ... 30,00.html

Press Association
Wednesday November 21, 2007 4:03 PM

Post office closures will be put on hold in the run-up to local elections next year, it was revealed.

In a letter to sub-postmasters, Post Office Ltd said it had been asked by the Government to halt part of its network shake-up during the elections.

Public consultations have begun on the closure of 2,500 branches around the UK.

The letter says: "As you will be aware, the closure of any post office can be highly sensitive and can potentially become a local political issue.

"For that reason, we have been asked by Government to introduce a freeze on some elements of the Network Change Programme during the run-up to these elections."

There will be no public consultations or any final closure decisions between April 7 to May 2 - the period immediately prior to London's mayoral elections and local authority elections in England and Wales.

A Post Office spokesman said the letter, seen by the Press Association, had gone to every sub-postmaster in England and Wales.

Consultations are being rolled out on a regional basis. Some will be brought forward while other affected regions will be delayed until after May 2, the spokesman said. He was unable to specify how many branches will be affected.

A statement said: "Post Office Ltd has been asked by Government to introduce a freeze on some elements of the Network Change Programme during the run up to the London mayoral and local authority elections in England and Wales in May 2008.

"We shall not be running any public consultations, nor making any final closure decisions in the period immediately prior to elections from April 7 to May 2 2008."