Impending closure of the Redcar Crown Post Office on Cleveland Street

Friends of Redcar condemn the Royal Mail's decision to franchise the Crown Post Office in Redcar and see it as asset stripping.

On the 6th September the Communication Workers Union. CWU held a meeting at the Coatham Memorial Hall to discuss the decision by Royal Mail to close their Crown Post Office in Redcar.

The plan is to franchise with another business, similar to the decision made in Middlesbrough locating the service upstairs in W.H.Smith and disliked by pensioners, disabled people and parents with young children.

Carl Quartermain, who attended the meeting said, "The general consensus amongst residents is that this would be an unforgivable loss and they would fight it. The Post Office had £94 million profit last year and paid out £15.4 million in bonuses to senior managers, including a 37 per cent increase to CEO Paula Vennells - raising her earnings to £697,000. Redcar's Post Office located on Cleveland Street is one of 76 Crown Post Offices facing closure or franchise.

"When pushed the attending Royal Mail management said that they would listen to residents' concerns but I felt these were empty words and my gut feeling is a deal has already been done and the meeting was set up by the CWU 'after the horse has bolted'. This is happening while residents around Roseberry Square shops are crying out for a post office - and it so happens there's an empty unit waiting to be filled."

FSB Teesside are currently relaunching their "Keep Trade Local" campaign to bring awareness to the loss of business within town centres. Carl added, "We fully endorse the FSBs campaign. We recognise that closure to the Crown Post Office could have serious implications to the businesses around that area. It's not just about the heritage, it's the effect this will have on trade. Shutting this office will undoubtedly mean losing an immeasurable amount of footfall from customers who use the postal services in this location".

For more links on this story see below:

The Northern Echo
Communications workers union