Pensioner speaks out against post office closure

8:30am Wednesday 16th July 2008

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A disabled Elstree pensioner "utterly reliant" on the post office to draw her pension and keep in touch with relatives abroad, has spoken of her anger at its potential closure.

Joan Bland, 84, moved to her home off Barnet Lane in 1990 after she was widowed. The close proximity to a post office, on the High Road, drew her to the area as it provided good access to necessary facilities.

Then following a major leg operation nine years ago and growing hip problems leaving her with limited mobility, the post office has proved invaluable.

She said: "I can just about walk around to the post office because I am disabled. There is a bench at the bottom of the road and I sit there in the middle of my walk. I try and do that as my exercise though so I draw my pension every week.

"My son is in Spain and I have relatives in Canada so I use the post office to send parcels to them a lot. I am utterly reliant on it to keep in touch with my family.

"Plus because I live on my own when I go down to the post office it’s nice to meet people and we often spend ages there just talking. It’s nice to have that when you live on your own."

Plans were announced last month that the High Road branch was earmarked for closure as part of the Post Office Network Change Programme. A final decision will be made at the end of a six-week public consultation period concluding on July 28.

If the branch closes, the Post Office has suggested customers should use alternative offices in Borehamwood and Edgware.

The company is subsidised by the Government and the latest plans meet its criteria to tackle financial losses and falling customer numbers.

But for Mrs Bland and her friends, the prospect of having to go into Borehamwood to get their pensions has not been met with positivity.

She said: "We’re all furious. We all rely on the post office. We’re not all computer wizards and can’t all like younger people do everything on computers.

"It’s going to make life more difficult because it’s not easy for me to get to the bus stop and walk to the Borehamwood post office. And carrying a parcel with me will be hard. Now I can get my money every week which I use for everyday living. I’d be sad to see it go, it’s part of the community."

A public meeting, hosted by the Borehamwood and Elstree Times will be held on Tuesday, July 22, at the St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, St Nicholas Close, Elstree, at 7.30pm.

Anyone wanting to give their comments as part of the six-week consultation for Elstree post office should do so before Monday, July 28.

To send views to the Post Office, write to Gary Herbert, Network Development Manager, c/o National Consultation Team, Freepost.

Alternatively, email consultation@postoffice.co.uk or call the customer helpline on 08457 22 33 44.