It is just one week since Wyre Forest learnt that four of its local post offices were to be closed. Now that the initial dust has settled, Mark Garnier is leading the campaign to reduce the number of closures from four, to just two, and has spoken with all the post offices concerned. Mark Garnier has been leading the campaign against Labour's post office cuts since the 17th May 2007, when he first brought the issue to the attention of residents of Wyre Forest with a press release, followed up by his subsequent newsletters and further press releases.
Four post offices are due to be axed: Comberton Hill; Queen's Road, The Walshes; Wolverley; and Harvington. Of these four, Harvington is unprofitable and the local post master reluctantly accepts his fate. Wolverley sadly lost its post master recently and the local parish council accepts that to re-open the post office against the proposed closure is too much to ask. However, Comberton Hill is a viable, profitable post office, that serves its community well, as does Queen's Road.
Local campaigns have been started to save these post offices and Mark Garnier welcomes these initiatives. However, and very importantly, the cuts are for four post offices in Wyre Forest. Should one be saved as a result of local campaigning, another will close elsewhere. That is why Mark Garnier is leading the campaign to reduce the closures from four to just two.
Mark Garnier explains: "Across the country, 2,500 post offices will be cut. Wyre Forest share is 4, and four will close under these proposals. If one is saved, another will close elsewhere in the district. That is why I am leading the campaign to reduce numbers closed from four to two."