It has been announced that Denton Road Post Office in Audenshaw, and both North and South Reddish’s Post Offices will be closed as a part of the current network review.

Andrew Gwynne MP said:

“The closure of Denton Road Post Office is a regretful consequence of the Post Office’s network review programme, which is reducing the Post Office network because of dwindling customers. I am saddened that Denton Road is down for closure although I acknowledge that Audenshaw Post Office is very close by; which is the reason given by Post Office Limited for the closure. This closure brings Denton, Audenshaw and Dukinfield to the minimum network standard, having suffered from a small number of Post Office closures in 2005, as well as a larger number of closures under the previous Conservative Government.”

“I was extremely surprised by the Post Office’s decision to close both North and South Reddish’s Post Offices. These are well used branches, and it is some distance for people to travel to the remaining branches in Houldsworth Square and Broomfield Grove. I am particularly concerned about the closure in North Reddish as the proposal acknowledges that there are no public transport services for the people of North Reddish to travel to the remaining alternative at Oak Drive, Denton. The Post Office’s reduction strategy is supposed to ensure customers have easy access to a remaining Post Office, and it is disturbing that the distance for some people in Reddish to travel will be substantial.”

“I very much support the Government’s £1.7 Billion investment subsidy of the Post Office network which will put the network on a more stable financial footing until 2011. But the message has to be ‘use it or lose it’.”

There is a consultation exercise taking place up until October and people concerned about the closures can write to:

National Consultation Team, Post Office Ltd, FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM

or call 08457 22 33 44 or email online at www.postoffice.co.uk/networkchange

Andrew Gwynne MP continued:

“I will always fight to make sure my constituents have good access to Post Office services, and that those services are the ones that people need and want to use.”