Hugh moves to save Downswood Post Office

HUGH ROBERTSON REFERS CLOSURE OF DOWNSWOOD POST OFFICE TO THE PARLIAMENTARY OMBUDSMAN

Hugh Robertson has taken the highly unusual step of referring the consultation process into the closure of Downswood Post Office to the Parliamentary Ombudsman on the grounds of maladministration. The Parliamentary Ombudsman is an independent body set up to investigate incidents of maladministration by government bodies.

The complaint, which was drawn up by Roz Cheesman, the Chairman of Downswood Parish Council, highlights the fact that the consultation document drawn up by the Post Office contained a series of flawed and misleading statements about distances, public transport and a car parking facilities. It also drawn attention to the fact that the Parish Council was only formally contacted three days before the deadline was due to expire and that the consultation process was too short and timed to coincide with the summer holidays.

Hugh said: “There is no doubt that the Post Office failed to provide accurate and reliable information to my constituents during the consultation process. I hope the Ombudsman will accept this.

“If she does, we will have excellent grounds for going to the Minister to argue that the consultation process was flawed and that the whole process should be restarted.

“It has not reflected at all well on either the government, as the major shareholder, or the Post Office!”