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Post office closure decision foolish and disruptive
• I WONDER if Vimal Shah, the pharmacist involved in the imminent closure of the post office in his shop, realises his business will go down even more when it closes.
If people have to go to Camden Town to use the post office they will then go to Boots or Superdrug for their prescriptions – quite a lucrative business – and any other items required from either pharmacy or chemist.
I no longer live on the Regents Park estate but appreciate the decision to close this post office as foolish and disruptive.
Mo Lane
Oval Road, NW1
Your views
• MUKUL Hira’s personal attack on my colleague Tulip Siddiq and her support for local pensioners does the campaign to help save the Albany Street post office no favours (Letters, May 14).
Bringing external party political point-scoring into play at this crucial time really isn’t in the interests of the local community, especially when he gets his facts so wrong.
I hope the leader of the council will be making more sensible and helpful points when he meets representatives from the Post Office at his regular meeting with them next week.
The issue, unlike other branch closures, is due to the insistence of the Post Office Ltd that Albany Street open on Saturdays for four hours. Sadly, this costs the branch disproportionately. However, instead of seeking a compromise (for example, the branch has in the past offered to open longer on weekday evenings) the Post Office has suddenly sought to close down the entire franchise, with no replacement in the offing, forcing local people to use Camden High Street branch instead.
They say it because the built-up area like the Regent’s Park estate needs a service open on Saturdays. Yet in reality, if they aren’t offering a substitute, the effect of their acts will make matters worse.
As we all know, Camden High Street branch already suffers from severe overcrowding, even more so after the closure of Crowndale Road. I am sure that local people, faced with the choice between a total closure and a slightly more limited opening, would find it easy.
The knock-on effects could also be bad. I am concerned that Albany Street parade will all be affected by any closure of the post office. Obviously the pharmacy benefits from the branch’s customers, but I warrant so do all local businesses.
It’s not too late to put your view in to the Post Office – email consultation@postoffice.co.uk by May 22.
Cllr Theo Blackwell
Labour, Regent’s Park ward
So crowded
• AS a resident of Camden Town I was concerned to read about the possibility that the post office in Albany Street might close.
My local branch in Camden High Street is already so crowded that I had to queue for nearly an hour recently when I was renewing my passport. Closing Albany Street post office will mean even more people coming to the post office on Camden High Street.
I doubt the building could take that!
Thomas Neumark
Gloucester Crescent, NW1
Tulip factor
• WITH reference to Albany Road post office closure and Tulip Siddiq (Letters, May 14) Wow!
She must be pretty damn good if you lot are attacking her this viciously already!
Nazmul Chowdhury
Spencer Street, EC1
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