In 2008, eight
local Post Office branches in Southwark were closed down,
despite widespread protests, because the government will
no longer provide the necessary subsidy to keep them
going. And the government, unfortunately, seems to be
adamant that it will not restore this subsidy.
These
closures have affected people across the borough – but
they have hit particularly hard at pensioners, disabled
people, people on low incomes, and all those who do not
have ready access to the mainstream banking system and to
the Internet.
Few
doubt that the closure of these local Post Office branches
is a real problem - and there is clearly a need for some
fresh thinking if we are to tackle this problem seriously
and effectively.
And,
fortunately it seems that there may be a practical and
realistic alternative.
Essex
County Council has developed a scheme to re-open local
Post office branches, by paying them to provide various
council services. This is not just a nice idea - Essex
have already re-opened three branches, and hope re-open a
further 11 by the end of 2009. The Post Office has
co-operated with the Council to enable this to happen.
Essex
believes that the knock-on community benefits of
the relatively modest funding needed to sustain these
local Post Offices are substantial – and, conversely, that
the social costs of failing to do so are massive.
A
number of people in Southwark think that it is worth
exploring the model developed by Essex County Council
further, and seeing if it could be applied practically in
our borough.
We
think that, as a first step, Southwark Council should be a
little bit imaginative, and seriously consider
commissioning a “feasibility study” - to take a detailed
look at whether this would be practical, looking at, in
detail, the potential costs, both capital and revue, and
the overall social benefits to the local economy in
Southwark, both short and long term.
To
contribute to this debate, the Local Economic Policy Unit
(LEPU) at Southbank University will be hosting a seminar
on 13th October 2009 to explore these issues in greater
detail.
If
you would like to be involved in this initiative, or just
kept informed about future activities and events, such as
the LEPU seminar, please contact us at the email address
below.
And
please also let us know if you have any particular ideas
and suggestions about this initiative, and how it might be
developed further.
Aims & Objectives
