Stamp of approval for Post Office campaign

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A PETITION signed by more than 5,000 people against controversial plans to move a Romford Post Office into a WH Smith store has been presented to the leader of the Havering Labour Party.

The petition against Post Office bosses' proposals to move the branch in South Street into the WH Smith store in the Liberty Shopping Centre was officially handed over by the chairman of the Brooklands Residents Association Eamonn Mahon to Cllr Keith Darvill last Friday June 18.

Eamonn said: "I think this presentation is a terrific representation for the whole of the borough and it just shows how much opposition there is to the plans.

"If the plans got the go-ahead it would just lead to chaos in the store because of the lack of space."

The petition, which was originally set up outside of the current Post Office last month, will now be presented in the next full council meeting.

It is calling for the plans to move the Post Office, which would be placed on the second floor of the store, to be scrapped and for Romford to be given a Post Office it deserves.

Cllr Darvill said: "The Post Office in Romford has been poorly served for a number of years and I think the people really deserve something better. I think these proposals are being driven by profit rather than services to the public and our Post Offices need to provide better services so that people do not have long delays."

Royal Mail originally announced the public consultation on the proposals just before the elections.

Heaton ward, Cllr Denis O' Flynn argues that the proposals would make life very hard for people in wheelchairs and those with pushchairs.

He said: "There are going to be a lot of elderly people and people with pushchairs who are going to find it hard getting into the new store.

"I think that the Post Office bosses should look at this petition and the WH Smith store and see for themselves that it is not a good alternative to the current premises."

A Post Office spokesman defended the decision saying: "We recognise that the current situation is not ideal and we have been working to find a solution.

"We currently have 80 branches that are run from WH Smith stores and it works well and we think in this case it would be in a prime location.

"Some issues have been raised about the access but there is already a lift and the store is also being remodeled so it will have better customer access.