Demo over Post Office closure plan (From Bucks Free Press)

Demo over Post Office closure plan

11:23am Wednesday 18th June 2008 in News By Oliver Evans

PEOPLE brandishing placards took to the streets to protest at Post Office closures just hours after plans were announced.

They turned out to support North Town Post Office in Totteridge Road, High Wycombe.

It is one of 11 facing closure out of south Bucks' 36 remaining branches.

They were supported by Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesman Steve Guy who said: "Post Offices are the lifeblood of communities in both rural and urban areas, particularly when they are combined with other services, such as the local shop.

"When the local post office closes other services often follow suit, which can be devastating for the community. Today I visited one of the Post Offices affected.

"Nearby elderly residents are devastated that their local Post Office is going to close. They tell me that their local Post Office helps them to maintain their independence."

Elizabeth Parks, of Monument Lane, Chalfont St Peter, spoke out over the proposed closure of the Rickmansworth Lane branch in Chalfont Common.

She said: "My husband uses it a lot. I should imagine we come round every day with a couple of parcels.

"There are absolutely loads of people who use it round here. It cannot be closing through a lack of business, as people are always in there.

"We will be very upset when it closes. There will be an awful lot of people who will outline that statement."

Irene Lefebure, of Eastwood Close, Chalfont St Peter, spoke out over the plan to shut Beaconsfield Old Town's Post Office.

Mrs Lefebure, who was visiting her brother in the town, said: "There are plenty of old people who live in the area and it is a long way to Beaconsfield New Town to do whatever they need to do in the post office.

"If it goes then it will be detrimental to the little shops in the area which are important. If you can keep the post offices going then it is good because it is an important part of any village."

And Alex Norbury, 27, an IT account manager of Kingsmead Road, Loudwater said: "I do use the post office fairly regularly and I would be upset if it closed.

"I use the post office for our business and to do my car tax. I still use the post office rather than the internet."

Joan Woodstock, 84, of Garvin Avenue, Beaconsfield New Town, said: " I think the town would suffer if it was closed.

"It wouldn't affect me too much but it would be serious for the people up here who are elderly and couldn't get down to the new town.

"I think the elderly would be the ones most offended."

The proposed closures are:

Loudwater, Station Road, High Wycombe

Hazlemere Crossroads, High Wycombe

Desborough Road, High Wycombe

North Town, Totteridge Road, High Wycombe

Wycombe Lane, Wooburn Green

The Parade, Bourne End

Old Town, Aylesbury End, Beaconsfield

Chalfont Common, Rickmansworth Lane, Chalfont St Peter

Amersham Old Town, Market Square

Botley Stores, Botley Road, Chesham

Waterside, Chesham