On Thursday (22nd November) I stood up in Parliament to raise my objection to company proposals to relocate The Boulevard Post Office in Crawley town centre to WHSmith in County Mall.
I am opposed to these changes, not least because of the difficulties which customers with mobility issues may experience.
While there is a bus stop and car parking provision near the current site; getting to WHSmith would involve entering a busy shopping centre after paying for parking or arriving via public transport from further away.
These proposals have been put forward by the Post Office, which is the national network of branches offering a range of postal, government and financial services. The Post Office remains under public control and is seeking to make these changes to the service in Crawley.
Royal Mail is the separate company that delivers parcels and letters, providing the universal postal service. Royal Mail own the site on The Boulevard, and they have said they have no plans to leave the current premises or close the sorting facility there.
The Post Office consultation closes on Wednesday 12th December and can be found online here. Last week in the Commons I raised concerns felt by many across our community that the Post Office have already made their minds up – this has to be an honest consultation.
I have written to Royal Mail and the Business Minister, Kelly Tolhurst. I have additionally completed the Post Office’s online form myself and would urge anyone else who is opposed to these changes to do the same.
Henry Smith MP
Crawley Constituency
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
01293 934554/020 7219 7043
henry.smith.mp@parliament.uk
www.henrysmith.info