Lib Dem welcomes news of new city centre post office
February 16, 2010 9:38 AM
Tim Bick
Cambridge City Councillor, Tim Bick, has welcomed the news that the Post Office plans to open a new branch in the city centre.
If given the go-ahead, it will open inside a convenience/newsagent store in King Street.
The decision comes following the closure of the Trinity Street Post Office which was announced at Christmas.
Cllr Bick, who represents Market Ward said: "I welcome the Post Office's commitment to continue with a second post office in the city centre.
"Clearly, there will be a number of people who will not be happy with the fact that the post office will move some distance from Trinity Street to King Street. For the long term residents of King Street, however, it brings a welcome return to post office services after a gap of more than 25 years following the closure of its last branch in 1983.
"From an overall perspective it does seem less than ideal that the new one will be closer to St Andrews Street, where we already have a main office, and further from Castle Street, which lost its post office recently."
Cllr Bick expressed concern that the post office service for the public suffers from the Post Office's franchise terms and the inflexibility of landlords over the level of rents.
"The public service mission of a post office is effectively caught in the vice of the Post Office's franchise terms not adequately reflecting city centre rents and college landlords not being willing to make concessions," he said.
The plans go out to public consultation today (Tuesday) and residents will have the opportunity to have their say until March 30. There has been only one applicant for the new post office franchise.
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