Government Destroys Post Office Network

So the government has decided, in its infinite wisdom, to close down one in five of Britain's post offices. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6664109.stm) Could there be any clearer manifestation of Labour's complete lack of understanding of what makes a local community tick?

Open letter to Alan Cook, Managing Director, Post Office Ltd about the temporary closure of Belsize Park sub Post Office on Haverstock Hill

Dear Mr Cook,

We are writing to express our concern about the “temporary” closure of the above Post Office and the loss of an essential and valuable public service to the community and urge you to clarify whether and when you intend to reopen Belsize Park Post Office.

Up to its closure in March 2004 the post office services provided for example, basic postal services home and overseas, facilities to pay bills, benefits and pension payments, freedom pass, passport, driving licence and vehicle road tax renewals, were well used by all sectors of the community (within the Belsize, Gospel Oak and Haverstock wards), regardless of age, income and economic status.

The key issues are summarised below:

- These wards (see appendix 1) have a high proportion of elderly people who rely on a local Post Office for obtaining their pensions and benefits and paying household bills.

- There is also a high number of people with long term illnesses many of whom have mobility problems who are dependent on the services provided by the Post Office, as are carers who find it difficult to take time off from caring. These people have problems accessing alternative Post Offices in the Hampstead area.

- Despite the Government push to get pensioners and other benefit recipients to open bank accounts the Post Office Card Account is still one of the most popular and trusted accounts used by older people. This can be demonstrated by the fact that rather than scrapping these accounts in 2010 the Government has decided to retain and extend the facilities available through the Post Office Card Account.

- Census statistics indicate that over 50 % of residents do not own a car and therefore rely on public transport.

- Additionally Belsize and Gospel Oak wards have a high proportion of self employed people working from home and small local businesses (see appendix 2) who also rely on basic Post Office services for conducting their business. Although they, unlike many older and disabled residents, are physically able to access other Post Offices in the area getting to these is time consuming.

- Similarly the Post office was a resource for local schools and staff and visitors to the Royal Free Hospital.

Since its closure following the dispute with the sub postmaster of 10 years standing, there have been a number of discussions between the Post Office, the MP for Hampstead and Highgate and local community associations. A letter in February 2006 sent to Glenda Jackson MP confirmed that the above closure was only temporary and that you were hoping to reopen the branch as soon as physically possible once a new sub Postmaster had been found and appointed.

Please can you inform us if there are there are still funds available for the fitting out a sub post office to replace the one closed three years ago.

We look forward to hearing from you about your plans to reopen this much valued sub Post Office.

Yours sincerely

Cllr Keith Moffitt & Cllr Andrew Marshall, Leader & Deputy Leader of Camden Council

Dealing With Food Waste

I'm really excited by an estate-based composting project I went to visit in Hackney last week. Hopefully we can roll out something similar on our housing estates. Actually it's not really about composting - or at least that's not the main attraction for residents. It's about rat reduction! The organisers believe, and the residents confirm, that everyone will buy into recycling of kitchen waste if vermin eradication is the main goal. Compost is simply a fabulous by-product.

The Nightingale Estate in Hackney is right next to a railway line and as a result used to be infested with rats. However since they installed their "Rockets" (see left), which turn food waste into compost, they have almost completely eradicated their rat problem.

Local residents swear by the "Rockets". Former head of the Tenants Association, Alice Burke, (see right, proudly showing us their recycling pods) says the rats have gone and they've used the compost to help regenerate the estate.

In a good week an incredible 80% of residents participate in the kitchen waste collections. Since food is about a third of all household waste the environmental benefits of recycling it locally are huge.