A PETITION against Post Office closures which gathered more than 1,500 signatures from residents in Long Lawford and Bulkington has prompted an official government response.
The petition against plans by the Co-Op to withdraw Post Office services from the two areas was presented to Parliament by Rugby MP Mark Pawsey.
Residents and local councillors said the post offices were highly valued in the community and the movement of these offices to another location would heavily impact those nearby.
The Government’s response, made by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Life Sciences George Freeman MP, insisted the current closures were temporary and highlighted the importance of post offices to local communities.
Mr Pawsey said: “The closure of the Post Offices has been a matter of great concern for the communities. When I heard of the intention of the Post Office to close these branches, I immediately made the importance of their services, particularly for elderly residents, clear to the Post Office and called for them to make every effort to retain a service in both Bulkington and Long Lawford.
“The fact that over 1,500 residents signed petitions calling for these services to be retained demonstrates the strength of feeling on this issue in our local community.
“I am very pleased that the Government have recognised the importance of the services provided by the Post Office, as they did last year during a Westminster Hall debate on Post Office closures.”
Long Lawford resident and Rugby Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition spokesperson Pete McLaren said he was pleased the petition was presented but remained concerned about the amount of time the moves are taking.
He said: “It is over five months since it became known that the Co-op in Long Lawford was closing its post office facility, and we have now been without a post office for nearly three months.
“This has hit some local people particularly hard, especially those without transport, those who are not on the internet, and those who do not have bank accounts.
“We would like to see a positive outcome negotiated and announced within the next couple of weeks. We hope that any provision will be permanent with post office services that are both accessible and adequate for the needs of a growing village.”
