ANOTHER group has entered the fray to try to stop a highly unpopular post office move. Letchworth Garden City Council (LGCC) has denounced the plans to move the town s post office to a franchise inside a convenience store. The council s finance and policy

ANOTHER group has entered the fray to try to stop a highly unpopular post office move.

Letchworth Garden City Council (LGCC) has denounced the plans to move the town's post office to a franchise inside a convenience store.

The council's finance and policy committee last week branded the proposals as "unrealistic, unwanted and unworkable".

The council joins a growing band of supporters for our campaign against the move, which includes Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation and scores of residents.

Cllr Tony Wickham, chairman of LGCC, said: "We are totally against this move. The new premises are inadequate.

"We see queues outside the current post office on a daily basis. How will fewer counters improve or even maintain that service?

"The new location is poor, with the nearest free car parking 200 yards away. The whole idea is ill-conceived and will not provide the level of service which Letchworth deserves.

"We ask the Post Office to think again. The users of this post office have a right to be heard, and we will represent their views."

The council has called for an urgent meeting with the Post Office and will also be asking consumer group Postwatch to attend.

Cllr Wickham said: "We shall ask the Post Office to delay any decision on this proposal until after the new town centre redevelopment proposals are better known. That would be the sensible thing to do."

Suggestions that supermarket chain Morrison's, which has a branch opposite the current post office, would consider opening a more conveniently located franchise inside its store were denied.

A spokesman for the chain said: "We no longer operate any post offices from any of our supermarkets so it would be unlikely."

The Comet asked TM Retail, owners of the McColls store in Station Road where the franchised post office is to be set up, to comment on the situation, but we had not received a reply by the time we went to press.

o The Comet will pass your views on the proposed move to the Post Office. Write to us at: Post Office Campaign, The Comet, Bank House, Primett Road, Stevenage, SG1 3EE or email editorial@thecomet.net