Post Office campaign hits the Sheffield streets

10th August 2008

Sheffield Communities Against Post Office Closures (SCAPOC)

SCAPOC members joined with sub postmasters and angry local residents at stalls with petitions and letters across the city on Saturday. 100 people signed the petition at Derbyshire Lane PO in just 90 minutes as the campaign stall was overwhelmed with local support. The "Save Silverhill PO campaign" focused on getting posters up in local shops to advertise their campaign meeting in Ecclesall Library on Wednesday August 13. Wadsley Bridge PO now has more than 800 petition signatures – local pubs who use the branch are collecting signatures from customers. Stalls are planned for Park Grange PO on Monday.

Spokesperson Alistair Tice comments : "Within 48 hours of the closure
announcement, SCAPOC contacted sub-postmasters at all the threatened
branches and held a well attended campaign meeting. In attendance were reps from National Federation of Sub Postmasters, the Communication Workers Union and the Federation of Small Businesses. Bernard Little (Green Party), Mazher Iqbal (Labour Party) and council leader Paul Scriven (Lib Dem) ensured all council groups attended.

Local campaigns have already started at several branches with spontaneous petitions circulating in pubs and clubs. There is massive public anger at the scale of the closures and the devastating impact they will have on local communities. One sub postmaster has changed his mind and now wants to stay open and fight the closure of his branch.

SCAPOC is helping co-ordinate this opposition and channel it effectively. We know that the consultation process is a sham - Adrian Wales, Post Office Network Development Manager has already stated that "consultation is not a debate"! However, we are determined to expose Post Office Ltd’s balance sheet mentality and mobilise public opposition to save our post offices.

We’re pleased that the Council is publicly opposing all the closure but theymust back their words with action. We are asking for the council to provide local campaigns with the resources to contest the closure criteria and to draw up plans to keep all needed branches open even if Post Office Ltd goes ahead with closures."

The picture show Chris Beaumont, the Derbyshire Lane Sub
Postmaster, (centre holding the poster) plus members of SCAPOC and local customers at the branch on Saturday morning.

Sheffield Communities Against Post Office Closures (SCAPOC) is a broad-based city-wide campaign involving representatives from the Socialist Party, Green Party, Communication Workers Union, Trades Council, Tenants and Residents Associations and pensioners.