More protesters in fight to save Kidsgrove sorting office

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RESIDENTS in south Cheshire have joined the battle against the closure of a sorting office.

Royal Mail announced plans to shut the branch in Congleton Road, Kidsgrove, in October and move operations to its facility in Knutton.

Councillors in Kidsgrove gathered a 1,000-name petition against the closure, which has now been handed in to Parliament.

But more people, living in the ST7 area, have decided to write to the company in a plea for it to drop the proposals.

Royal Mail is currently consulting staff and representatives from the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) about the proposals.

The office employs about 70 people, and while the CWU says it has not been notified of any potential redundancies, representatives fear it could mean later deliveries.

It is thought if plans go ahead the facility could close as early as February 2012.

Secretary of Alsager Chamber of Trade, John Poulson, of Russell Avenue, Alsager, told The Sentinel: "From a business point of view, the closure of the sorting office in Kidsgrove will mean that post is going to arrive much later than it does now and in terms of small businesses, who rely on the facility to enable them to send and deliver parcels, it could be critical if mail is undelivered.

"At the moment residents can go to the Butt Lane sorting office to collect their mail and it will be a real inconvenience for people to have to travel an extra eight or so miles.

"It could also be a problem for elderly residents who may struggle to get to Knutton."

Councillor Rhoda Bailey, of Church Lane, Scholar Green, has written a letter to Royal Mail against the proposals.

She said: "I have written to Royal Mail to ask if they can provide some alternative provision for collection of undelivered mail.

"Because if the closure went ahead, people would have to do an extra 10-mile round trip to collect their mail, and the alternatives that are already in place, such as re-arranging delivery dates, do not compensate for the loss of the sorting office."

Kidsgrove town and borough councillor Margaret Astle is spearheading the fight against the closure.

She added: "I am aware that residents, especially in Kidsgrove and Alsager, are very angry about the plans to close the sorting office.

"And they are particularly angry about the fact that Royal Mail decided to do this without carrying out a public consultation.

"It will have a devastating affect on people from the surrounding areas who may struggle to collect undelivered mail.

"And it is another blow for Kidsgrove. First, we could be losing our police station and now we could be losing the sorting office too."

Staffordshire Police announced that the station could be set to close as the authority, which has a 2011/12 budget of £190.2 million, aims to save £38 million by 2015