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Post Offices & Heathrow (Tuesday 26/02/08)
TWO big issues have dominated my in-tray this week: possible Post Office closures and plans to expand Heathrow. And we are vigorously opposing both.
Post Offices
This council will do everything in its power to oppose the ‘slash and burn’ of Post Office branches. Half-a-dozen face closure in Hammersmith & Fulham which is an assault on our community.
Many residents, particularly the elderly and vulnerable, rely on their local Post Office and that is why we are urging residents to support our campaign to save them.
Just to confirm, the six at risk are: 780 Fulham Road, 58 Kenyon Street, 146 Shepherds Bush Road, 68 Askew Road, 88 Goldhawk Road and 7 Kings Parade, Askew Road.
As the Post Office launched their ‘consultation’ I learned of a seventh shutdown, not mentioned in the official bumph. The Costcutter local supermarket on North End Road closed earlier this month meaning the Post Office counter inside also bit the dust. The news is particularly damaging to the Post Office. As well as closing branches across the borough, they have been trying to relocate other branches into smaller shops to slash overheads.
Last year the Crown Post Office in the heart of Fulham was moved to a small corner of WH Smith. Two weeks later the owners of the site applied to knock the building down. Now we hear that another branch, this time in a Costcutter, has closed its doors.
We are organising a borough-wide petition which I hope you will support. The first signing will take place outside the 68 Askew Road Post Office, on Monday 3 March at 1.30pm.
We will also be arranging a major public meeting at the Hammersmith Town Hall on Wednesday 19 March at 7pm. I hope you can make it.
I was absolutely amazed that Aviation Minister Jim Fitzpatrick has backtracked on a pledge given to me – in front of other west London council leaders – to extend consultation on Heathrow across the whole of Hammersmith & Fulham.
It is outrageous that the majority of residents in our borough are to be denied the chance to have their say even though the expansion proposals will directly affect them.
Researchers have proved that noise pollution from planes dominates areas up to 12 miles away from Heathrow – including Hammersmith & Fulham. Plans for a third runway would bring this disturbance to parts of the borough previously unaffected by aircraft noise.
What I say to the Minister is simple. Not only should you extend the closing date of this consultation but do the decent thing and honour your pledge so that everyone in Hammersmith & Fulham can have their say.
Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh
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