Braintree MP cries foul on post-office relocation plan

Braintree MP Brooks Newmark has accused Post Office Limited of foul play for confirming the planned relocation of the George Yard Post Office branch in Braintree to 3-5 New Street. Braintree MP Brooks Newmark has accused Post Office Limited of foul play for confirming the planned relocation of the George Yard Post Office branch in Braintree to 3-5 New Street.

The Post Office wrote formally to interested parties on the 18th February to confirm the move which is due to take place between the 10th and 13th of March.

On the omission of the move from last year's public consultation Steve Rolfe, Field Change Advisor for Post Office Ltd. remarked in his letter that, "due to short timescales, I am sorry that I am unable to complete a full consultation period on this particular occasion." He did, however, invite comments on the move to be sent to the National Consultation Team.

Mr. Newmark said, "I have a hard time believing that need to relocate the George Yard branch was unknown to managers at Post Office Ltd. during the original consultation process. This belated decision has, in effect, undermined the very brief and inadequate consultation which took place at the end of last year."

Mr. Newmark wrote to Mr. Alan Cook, Managing Director of Post Office Ltd., in January to note his concerns about the move. In his letter he stated that the decision "materially alters, and thus invalidates, the consultation process which has taken place…The consultation on the closure programme was conducted very rapidly and now appears to me to be daily unravelling."

In his reply, Mr. Cook apologised for the omission of the proposed move from the consultation, and assured Mr. Newmark "of our best intentions in this matter." However, Mr. Cook also stated that as long as the move remained provisional, the exact plans were to be kept "in the strictest confidence".

Mr. Newmark said, "I felt very strongly that the whole point of a public consultation is that fundamental changes would not be kept confidential and then sprung on an unsuspecting public after the final whistle has already been blown.

In my view Post Office Ltd. have violated the spirit of the public consultation and violated the public's dwindling trust, and I wrote immediately to the Minister responsible for Postal Affairs to say as much. I will also look to raise this issue with him in the House of Commons at the next opportunity.