Julia Lopez, MP for the Harold Hill community, will be meeting the Chairman and CEO of the Post Office next month and has encouraged the Post Office to discuss their plans for the branch with Havering Council so that its future is secured as part of the redeveloped Farnham Road and Hilldene shopping area.
The Harold Hill Post Office branch is one of 115 branches which the Post Office still directly manages. It is facing potential closure as the organisation looks to cut costs and streamline their services.
Its closure would mean the loss of one of the few remaining places on the high street where local people are able to carry out some form of cash and banking services – leaving TSB as the sole remaining place on the high street to provide such services.
Mrs Lopez is working with a cross-party group of MPs who have secured a meeting with Minister Thomas, whose ministerial portfolio includes the Post Office. The cross-party group will have their views represented to the Minister in February.
Julia is also set to meet the CEO of the Post Office and the Organisation’s Chair in just a couple of weeks in Parliament where she will continue to press for an answer on the branch’s future.
The Post Office have also confirmed that they will speak to Havering Council about opportunities to keep the branch in the community on a long-term basis as the development of Farnham Road gets underway.
