Wednesday's planning committee meeting approved the "Conversion from confectionary to hot food takeaway" of 164 Hills Road, the former St John's Post Office, in spite of an officer recommendation to refuse permission.
It is a real shame that the Post Office had to go because of Labour's Post Office closure programme. Clearly the character of this area is changing and we shall need to keep an eye on developments. Do let us know what you think.
Showing posts with label Post Offices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Post Offices. Show all posts
Friday, April 3, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Former Post Office could become take-away
Last week the following planning application was submitted:
09/0059/FUL, 164 Hills Road, Conversion from confectionary to hot food takeaway (A5).
Which I think is the old St John's Post Office, that was the vicitim of Labour's post office closure program. Another step towards this area of town looking like an anonymous part of London surburbia...
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
St Johns Post Office Axed
The axe has fallen on St John's Hills Road, as the Post Office has announced that it will definitely be closing. The branch is likely to close in about 4 weeks time, and there appears to be no further opportunity to appeal against this appallingly short-sighted decision. Only one of the 23 threatened post offices in Cambridgeshire was saved (at Great Gransden), and as predicted this was replaced by an additional closure at Thriplow. The Government has forced the Post Office to shut 2,500 post offices around the Country, resulting in today's blow.
I cannot quite believe that the Post Office has ignored the evidence presented to it. This post office is in an area of huge growth, in a City that is growing rapidly as a whole. It will leave large parts of South Cambridge even further from their nearest post office, and the local Post Office on Cherry Hinton Road isn't even open at lunch times. This is another kick in the teeth to Coleridge residents from the Government, after the £1.3m 'Cambridge Tax' that will be added to local Council Tax bills to pay for the botched concessionary bus fares scheme - Gordon Brown's policies really are delivering one blow after another for Cambridge residents.
There are also going to be some pretty annoyed students who left for the holidays unaware of the threat, and who will return to find their local post offices about to shut up shop.
The Post Office's full decision is available here. They commented on St Johns:
The main concerns expressed by respondents during the local public consultation regarding our proposal to close this branch related to the potential impact on the local community of the proposed closure, as respondents said that the branch serves a large residential area and several schools and colleges. Respondents also expressed concern for elderly customers, who it was said would face a long walk to the alternative branches or would have to pay for transport to travel to those branches.
Respondents also stated that there are a number of planned developments in the area, including residential housing and student accommodation. A petition was also submitted during the local public consultation, opposing the proposed closure. Post Office Limited has considered all responses received during the public consultation period and a review of this proposal has been undertaken.
There are four branches within one mile of Post Office® St Johns branch - the nearest alternative branch, Post Office® Cherry Hinton Road branch is just over half a mile away. Although there is no direct bus service between Post Office® Cherry Hinton Road branch and Post Office® St Johns branch, parking is available near that branch.
The second nearest alternative branch, Post Office® Hills Road branch, is located within a convenience store, has level access to assist customers and there is a regular bus service that runs between the this branch and Post Office® St Johns branch. Most buses have disabled access and there is free off-peak local bus travel for people over 60 or disabled passengers. There is also metered parking available opposite Post Office® Hills Road branch.
Post Office Limited has reviewed the capacity of both of the two nearest alternative branches to absorb the expected increase in customer numbers from the proposed closure of Post Office® St Johns branch and from planned developments and is satisfied that good service levels can be maintained.
Taking these and all other relevant factors into consideration, including the needs of our more vulnerable customers, Post Office Limited has decided to proceed with the proposed closure of Post Office® St Johns branch.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Post Office Consultation Response
Blogging has been a little light recently as I have been moving house, but the deadline for the consultation on Labour's post office closure program hitting Cambridge is tomorrow, so I have submitted the following response:
Network Change Programme: Area Plan Proposal Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and South Lincolnshire
Response to Consultation
This is a response from Councillor Chris Howell, a member of Cambridge City Council representing Coleridge ward to the Area Plan Proposal Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and South Lincolnshire.
I am writing to object to the planned closure of 3 Post Offices in the Cambridge City Area, and specifically to oppose the proposed closure to St Johns Post Office on Hills Road in Coleridge Ward. There should be no reason why the current network in Cambridge City should not be viable as it is, and indeed it urgently needs to be expanded to address areas currently lacking in provision such as Barnwell in Abbey Ward, and in the South of the City such as Addenbrokes, where St Johns is actually already the most convenient alternative.
Factors Relevant to all Post Offices in Cambridge Under Threat
Population Growth Generally
Cambridgeshire’s population has grown by 26% since 1981 (per Cambridgeshire County Council Research Group population estimates 1981-2006) and the County is forecast to be among the fastest growing in the country over the next fifteen years (per Office for National Statistics 2004-based population projections). There is significant government pressure to build homes in the County, and much of the planned growth will be in the Southern Cambridgeshire sub-region – locally produced estimates indicate the population in the City could increase by over 30% over the next 15-20 years.
Growth in student numbers
Both Cambridge University and Anglia Ruskin University have expanded student numbers greatly over recent years (e.g. Cambridge University total undergraduates and post graduates increased from 12,118 to 17,845 from 1981-2007 - http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2007-08/special/09/studentnumbers0607.pdf), and this trend is expected to continue. All three post offices threatened with closure are in areas with significant student populations.
New business opportunities
There are many areas that post offices could expand into, notably the increased provision of government services (e.g. a ‘Government GP’ service as proposed by the Conservatives), and there is huge political goodwill from all parties to make this type of arrangement work.
Pressure on the Central Post Office
The Central Post Office in Cambridge is already busy at peak periods, and will not be able to support additional visits from nearby Post Offices closing – in another area I am aware of shutting the local sub post office to the main office resulted in unacceptable levels of queuing.
St John’s Post Office, Hills Road,
St John’s Post Office is centred on an area of extraordinary population growth. Over 2,000 new homes are either recently completed, under construction or have detailed approved planning permission, including major sites within 100 yards of the post office. The precise sites are detailed in the formal response from Cambridge City Council. This will clearly increase visits to the Post Office far in excess of the current levels. There is also a major redevelopment planned for the nearby station area.
Lack of Post Office Coverage in South Cambridge
Following the earlier closure of the Wulfstan Way Post Office, vast areas of the South of Cambridge, including Addenbrokes Hospital are now a long way from a post office – for many people in Queen Edith’s ward in particular, St Johns is currently their local post office, and its closure will require them to travel further. The journey to the alternative on Hills Road or the Central Post Office requires a journey down a busy and frequently congested main road.
Lack of suitable alternatives
The most obvious alternative, Cherry Hinton Road has restricted opening times, including shutting over the key lunchtime period. If St Johns is shut, the Post Office must ensure that Cherry Hinton Road branch is open for longer including lunch times.
Finally, consultation arrangements have been unfortunate to say the least for the student population – all three earmarked for closure are in areas heavily populated with students, either from the central colleges, or in the case of St Johns from neighbouring Homerton College. As it stands, students will have left Cambridge for the summer prior to the closures being announced, and will return after the closure of the consultation. If there is any sense in which the consultation is a meaningful exercise, the deadline for responses must be extended into the Autumn to allow representations from students and student organisations.
Network Change Programme: Area Plan Proposal Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and South Lincolnshire
Response to Consultation
This is a response from Councillor Chris Howell, a member of Cambridge City Council representing Coleridge ward to the Area Plan Proposal Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and South Lincolnshire.
I am writing to object to the planned closure of 3 Post Offices in the Cambridge City Area, and specifically to oppose the proposed closure to St Johns Post Office on Hills Road in Coleridge Ward. There should be no reason why the current network in Cambridge City should not be viable as it is, and indeed it urgently needs to be expanded to address areas currently lacking in provision such as Barnwell in Abbey Ward, and in the South of the City such as Addenbrokes, where St Johns is actually already the most convenient alternative.
Factors Relevant to all Post Offices in Cambridge Under Threat
Population Growth Generally
Cambridgeshire’s population has grown by 26% since 1981 (per Cambridgeshire County Council Research Group population estimates 1981-2006) and the County is forecast to be among the fastest growing in the country over the next fifteen years (per Office for National Statistics 2004-based population projections). There is significant government pressure to build homes in the County, and much of the planned growth will be in the Southern Cambridgeshire sub-region – locally produced estimates indicate the population in the City could increase by over 30% over the next 15-20 years.
Growth in student numbers
Both Cambridge University and Anglia Ruskin University have expanded student numbers greatly over recent years (e.g. Cambridge University total undergraduates and post graduates increased from 12,118 to 17,845 from 1981-2007 - http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2007-08/special/09/studentnumbers0607.pdf), and this trend is expected to continue. All three post offices threatened with closure are in areas with significant student populations.
New business opportunities
There are many areas that post offices could expand into, notably the increased provision of government services (e.g. a ‘Government GP’ service as proposed by the Conservatives), and there is huge political goodwill from all parties to make this type of arrangement work.
Pressure on the Central Post Office
The Central Post Office in Cambridge is already busy at peak periods, and will not be able to support additional visits from nearby Post Offices closing – in another area I am aware of shutting the local sub post office to the main office resulted in unacceptable levels of queuing.
St John’s Post Office, Hills Road,
St John’s Post Office is centred on an area of extraordinary population growth. Over 2,000 new homes are either recently completed, under construction or have detailed approved planning permission, including major sites within 100 yards of the post office. The precise sites are detailed in the formal response from Cambridge City Council. This will clearly increase visits to the Post Office far in excess of the current levels. There is also a major redevelopment planned for the nearby station area.
Lack of Post Office Coverage in South Cambridge
Following the earlier closure of the Wulfstan Way Post Office, vast areas of the South of Cambridge, including Addenbrokes Hospital are now a long way from a post office – for many people in Queen Edith’s ward in particular, St Johns is currently their local post office, and its closure will require them to travel further. The journey to the alternative on Hills Road or the Central Post Office requires a journey down a busy and frequently congested main road.
Lack of suitable alternatives
The most obvious alternative, Cherry Hinton Road has restricted opening times, including shutting over the key lunchtime period. If St Johns is shut, the Post Office must ensure that Cherry Hinton Road branch is open for longer including lunch times.
Finally, consultation arrangements have been unfortunate to say the least for the student population – all three earmarked for closure are in areas heavily populated with students, either from the central colleges, or in the case of St Johns from neighbouring Homerton College. As it stands, students will have left Cambridge for the summer prior to the closures being announced, and will return after the closure of the consultation. If there is any sense in which the consultation is a meaningful exercise, the deadline for responses must be extended into the Autumn to allow representations from students and student organisations.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Post Office Closure Public Meeting
The City Council hosted a public meeting last night on how Labour's Post Office closure plan will affect Cambridge. The panel consisted of two Post Office representatives, a representative of the independent watchdog Postwatch and four local politicians.
Unfortunately, since the Lib Dems forced the council to change the date of the meeting to allow their own MP to attend, instead neither Chris Howell nor South Cambridgeshire Conservative MP Andrew Lansley were able to be present. However, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Richard Normington (left in photo) was on the panel to put the case for loosening Labour's constraints on Post Offices, allowing them to become commercially viable and therefore survive as the key community resource that they are.
In a refreshing outbreak of agreement between politicians, all agreed that Post Offices are vital for some sections of the community as well being valuable to virtually everyone. However, Labour's parliamentary hopeful was looking a little isolated as he tried to defend his party's indefensible plan.
An important message that came out of the discussions was that while we should all put the case to defend the specific post offices that are under threat, such as St John's on Hills Road, we must also tell the government what we think about their rigid target to lose 2500 Post Offices, in the hope that they will change their minds. Considering how many U-turns Gordon Brown has performed in the last year and that 20 of his own MPs rebelled over Post Offices, we shouldn't give up on trying to replace the plan at the top level. While your local Labour representatives haven't opposed the plans in public yet, we hope that they are putting pressure on their Westminster colleagues in private.
The most productive element of the meeting was discussion of ideas for how to make Post Offices more commercially viable. This is the cornerstone of the Conservative Post Office Action Plan:
The key parts of our plan are:
- Freeing up Sub-Postmasters
- Using Post Offices as Government GP service
- Campaigning on the Post Office Card Account
- Encouraging 'Council Counters'
The great tragedy about the closure plan is that so much of it could be avoided. The fact that profitable branches could close under the scheme illustrates how ill-thought out it is, while the fact that branches can only be saved at the expense of others shows how uncaring it is.
The deadline for responses to the formal consultation is 26th August 2008. Responses must be sent by e-mail to consultation@postoffice.co.uk or by post to:
National Consultation Team
Post Office Ltd
FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM
It is recommended that responses are copied to Postwatch at info@postwatch.co.uk or "FREEPOST POSTWATCH".
According to Post Office Limited, responses must refer to errors and omissions from the Branch Access Reports drawn up for Post Offices targeted for closure. See pages 49, 55, 61 for Cambridge branches. Further guidance is available from the City Council.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Andrew Lansley MP joins Post Office fight
Local MP Andrew Lansley visited Coleridge this week to help the campaign to save St Johns Post Office, which is threatened by Labour's latest Post Office closure program.
I joined Andrew to discuss with the sub postmaster the branch usage and how local residents might be affected, including:
- The lack of post office facilities for the hundreds of new homes being built near to this Post Office.
- The lack of post office facilities for many people in the South of the City, including staff at Addenbrokes.
- The students living in the area, and the consultation deadline closing prior to their return.
- The limited opening hours of the nearest alternative post office.
- The range of services that the post office allows each branch to offer.
Andrew will be feeding back his own comments to the Post Office.
Many thanks to Andrew for visiting Coleridge and joining the fight to save St Johns post office - some customers were slightly surprised to discover that St John's Post Office whilst in Coleridge ward is also currently in Andrew's South Cambridgeshire parliamentary constituency, along with other parts of the ward south of Cherry Hinton Road!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Post Office Meeting Changed
The City Council's main consultation meeting about the post office closures has had its date changed from 22nd July - it will now be held on Monday 11th August, from 7pm at the Guildhall.
Opposing the post office closures planned for Cambridge needs everyone to work together - the last thing we need is this sort of shambolic organisation from the Liberal Democrats running Cambridge City Council. At the Councillor briefing on Thursday, there was no mention of a date change. By Friday evening, a press release had been issued changing the date without consultation - at least with the Conservative representative on the panel.
The official excuse is to dump the Council officers in it: "This is to give officers more time to publicise the meeting to ensure that as many people as possible can attend and have their say." They have had weeks to publicise the meeting date, it has been in diaries for ages. We have heard a different excuse, and will certainly want to know if any senior Cambridge Liberal Democrats are on a foreign trip on the 22nd July.
Our latest In Touch newsletter was printed in Friday - it will now need to be delivered with a correction slip. I just hope residents aren't put out by either turning up on the previously publicised date, or because they are on holiday on the new date.
Opposing the post office closures planned for Cambridge needs everyone to work together - the last thing we need is this sort of shambolic organisation from the Liberal Democrats running Cambridge City Council. At the Councillor briefing on Thursday, there was no mention of a date change. By Friday evening, a press release had been issued changing the date without consultation - at least with the Conservative representative on the panel.
The official excuse is to dump the Council officers in it: "This is to give officers more time to publicise the meeting to ensure that as many people as possible can attend and have their say." They have had weeks to publicise the meeting date, it has been in diaries for ages. We have heard a different excuse, and will certainly want to know if any senior Cambridge Liberal Democrats are on a foreign trip on the 22nd July.
Our latest In Touch newsletter was printed in Friday - it will now need to be delivered with a correction slip. I just hope residents aren't put out by either turning up on the previously publicised date, or because they are on holiday on the new date.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Post Office thoughts
There was a briefing for Councillors last night from the Post Office, Postwatch and the County Council about closures planned for the City. A few things emerged.
Not for the first time, it was suggested that work behind the scenes by the County Council and Postwatch prior to the closures may have resulted in fewer closures being announced - worst case scenarios were losing up to 40 Post Offices in the County, compared to the 23 announced. Not much consolation to Coleridge with one of its post offices on the list though...
The timing of the consultation is, to say the least, unfortunate. All three in Cambridge marked for closure are in areas with large student populations - and these students will have left Cambridge for the Summer before closures were announced, and will return after the consultation closes - the closing date for the consultation must be changed to allow their views to be heard.
There are areas of the City that desperately need new Post Offices rather than closures, such as the Barnwell area of Abbey, and Queen Ediths ward to the South (which will be affected by the St Johns closure). I know Andrew Lansley MP is talking to the post office to try getting a new branch at Addenbrokes.
Finally, I think the new development planned for the area around the St John's post office, coupled with the lack of alternatives in Queen Ediths ward are strong grounds for retaining this post office - there are hundreds of new homes built or with planning permission on the Tim Brinton site, The Cambridge Water site, Shaftesbury Road, and I hope this argument can be made strongly to the Post Office.
Not for the first time, it was suggested that work behind the scenes by the County Council and Postwatch prior to the closures may have resulted in fewer closures being announced - worst case scenarios were losing up to 40 Post Offices in the County, compared to the 23 announced. Not much consolation to Coleridge with one of its post offices on the list though...
The timing of the consultation is, to say the least, unfortunate. All three in Cambridge marked for closure are in areas with large student populations - and these students will have left Cambridge for the Summer before closures were announced, and will return after the consultation closes - the closing date for the consultation must be changed to allow their views to be heard.
There are areas of the City that desperately need new Post Offices rather than closures, such as the Barnwell area of Abbey, and Queen Ediths ward to the South (which will be affected by the St Johns closure). I know Andrew Lansley MP is talking to the post office to try getting a new branch at Addenbrokes.
Finally, I think the new development planned for the area around the St John's post office, coupled with the lack of alternatives in Queen Ediths ward are strong grounds for retaining this post office - there are hundreds of new homes built or with planning permission on the Tim Brinton site, The Cambridge Water site, Shaftesbury Road, and I hope this argument can be made strongly to the Post Office.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Post Office Closure Links
Following the news that Coleridge ward is to be hit by the closure of St Johns post office, here are some links to further information that may be helpful.
County Council press release listing closures.
Cambridgeshire ACRE advice page on closures. Details on how to complain are in the document here - it suggests that complaints need to address the issues in the branch access report here - the Coleridge branch facing closure is on page 55. A good line of attack to start with might be the huge numbers of additional dwellings due to be built in the immediate neighbourhood (most of which assume ludicrously low levels of car ownership!)
The Conservatives Post Offices action plan and online petition.
Cambridge City Council Post Office Closures page
City Council closure meeting press release.
The Post Office 'Network Change Program' (aka shutting post offices) pages - follow the links to information about the closure program and how to register your complaint.
Please write to the post office as indicated in the links above or attend the City Council's meeting on 22nd July (7pm to 9pm in the Large Hall at the Guildhall) to complain about Labour's post office closure program hitting Coleridge.
UPDATE: The meeting date has been changed at late notice to 11th August.
County Council press release listing closures.
Cambridgeshire ACRE advice page on closures. Details on how to complain are in the document here - it suggests that complaints need to address the issues in the branch access report here - the Coleridge branch facing closure is on page 55. A good line of attack to start with might be the huge numbers of additional dwellings due to be built in the immediate neighbourhood (most of which assume ludicrously low levels of car ownership!)
The Conservatives Post Offices action plan and online petition.
Cambridge City Council Post Office Closures page
City Council closure meeting press release.
The Post Office 'Network Change Program' (aka shutting post offices) pages - follow the links to information about the closure program and how to register your complaint.
Please write to the post office as indicated in the links above or attend the City Council's meeting on 22nd July (7pm to 9pm in the Large Hall at the Guildhall) to complain about Labour's post office closure program hitting Coleridge.
UPDATE: The meeting date has been changed at late notice to 11th August.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Post Offices: 'Nothing to do with me'
As reported in todays CEN, Gordon Brown has claimed that closures threatening Cambridge post offices are 'nothing to do with me'.
Politicians have a bad enough name as it is - it really doesn't help that when Labour's unpopular policies are carried out, it claims it is nothing to do with them. In this case the Royal Mail is blamed - despite it being Labour policy to carry out the closures, and the government recently turned down Conservative plans to save them in the House of Commons. They do this with the NHS - if a Primary Care Trust announces cuts, it is always the fault of the PCT, a quango run by government appointees. As an ordinary voter, how are the boards of these organisations controlled - where is the democracy in their decision making?
Answer, the only democratic control is via the Government, and they implement the Government's policies. When those policies are unpopular, it is the Government who is to blame. Gordon Brown likes to announce and re-announce things he thinks will be popular - he should have some bottle and take responsibility for his ever increasing number of unpopular decisions.
Politicians have a bad enough name as it is - it really doesn't help that when Labour's unpopular policies are carried out, it claims it is nothing to do with them. In this case the Royal Mail is blamed - despite it being Labour policy to carry out the closures, and the government recently turned down Conservative plans to save them in the House of Commons. They do this with the NHS - if a Primary Care Trust announces cuts, it is always the fault of the PCT, a quango run by government appointees. As an ordinary voter, how are the boards of these organisations controlled - where is the democracy in their decision making?
Answer, the only democratic control is via the Government, and they implement the Government's policies. When those policies are unpopular, it is the Government who is to blame. Gordon Brown likes to announce and re-announce things he thinks will be popular - he should have some bottle and take responsibility for his ever increasing number of unpopular decisions.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Save our Post Offices
The Conservatives are today leading the charge against the Government's plans to close 2,500 post offices across the Country - they are using an opposition day debate to try reversing the closure program. Labour MPs (including Ministers) up and down the country have been caught out promising to try saving their local Post Offices, despite it being their Government's policy that is causing the closures. Lets hope these MPs can remember what they have been promising locally and support the Conservatives today.It is expected that closures in Cambridgeshire will be announced on July 8th, and I will be campaigning hard to save Coleridge's two post offices from Labour's planned cuts.
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