This week in Parliament, Julia Lopez MP met the Post Office as part of her campaign to save the Harold Hill branch from potential closure.
In the meeting Mrs Lopez emphasised the importance of the Post Office to many residents in Harold Hill, with a particular focus on access to banking services due to Harold Hill’s higher use of cash, as compared to the rest of the constituency.
Mrs Lopez also highlighted the lack of public transport connectivity in Harold Hill, and that the closure or relocation of the Harold Hill branch would leave many struggling to access these basic provisions.
Post Offices are also anchors for local high streets across the UK too, with many people visiting nearby businesses and shops around their trip to the local Post Office. Mrs Lopez raised fears that any potential closure or relocation of the Post Office would be a hammer blow to the businesses in the town centre that are already under real pressure.
Currently the Post Office is discussing the proposals and consulting with trade unions on the future of the 115 branches. Once the consultation has taken place, a decision on the future of the Harold Hill branch will be made in late March.
During the discussions, Mrs Lopez urged the Post Office again to speak to Havering Council about their redevelopment of Harold Hill town centre. It is hoped that the redevelopment could make a future franchised branch an attractive option for would be Postmasters and ensure any future branch would be financially sustainable.
