The campaign to save Sydenham Crown Post Office from closure took another turn with a public meeting on Thursday 18th May voting to take further steps and gaining a new supporter in the form of Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Lewisham West & Penge, Ellie Reeves.
Ellie Reeves, Mole Meade from the Communications Workers Union, Councillor Alan Hall, the leading Lewisham scrutiny councillor were part of a Panel with local Sydenham Ward councillor Liam Curran chairing. Both Cllrs Alan Hall and Liam Curran have persuaded the Council to oppose the closure of the Sydenham Crown Post Office as well as the one in New Cross.
Councillor Alan Hall said: “The residents of Sydenham came to a public meeting despite the rain and agreed to fight for the Crown Post Office. It is an essential public service under threat. We need to retain a Crown Post Office in Sydenham.”
Mole Meade, CWU said: “The Post Office is a vital part of the community. When a Crown Post office goes, so do some of the services the community rely on. It is unforgivable for the Post Office to proceed with this unregulated sham of a consultation process at a time when a Crown Post office is need most – to be at the heart of the High Street providing professional services.”
The meeting attended by around 30 people agreed to the following actions:
- Set up a twitter account: @SaveSydenhamPO
- Urge family, friends and neighbours to attend the Post Office consultation between 4pm-7pm on Tuesday 23rd May at The Sydenham Centre next to the Post Office
- Deliver more leaflets alerting Sydenham residents to the plans
- Alert the residents who attend the quarterly Sydenham Assembly meetings to the consultation meeting on Tuesday 23rd
- To find out more about how the proposed franchisee ZCO runs its other PO franchise
500 people have already signed offline and online petitions to Save Sydenham Crown Post Office. The online petition can be seen here
Read the article in the Newsshopper here