City councillors launch petition to save local post office from closure

The post office located in Chapharm Chemist on Swinden Court in Heelands announced it will be shutting its doors next week.

It comes as the current postmaster who has served the community for nearly 40 years is retiring and unfortunately, the new postmaster who was due to take on the service from next week has suddenly withdrawn.

This means that the post office will now close on Monday 29 April 2024.

Residents in Heelands will now have to travel across the city to Great Linford, Two Mile Ash, or the City Centre to access much needed services.

Local councillors say that the post office is a lifeline for members of the community and are concerned about the impact the closure will have on elderly and vulnerable residents.

Councillor Robin Bradburn who represents Bradwell ward, said:

“The post office is a lifeline for residents in Heelands. Not only is it the centre of the local community but dozens of people rely on its services every day to withdraw cash or to pay bills. Not everyone has access to online services, especially elderly and vulnerable residents, so I am urging the Post Office to act now before it has a significant impact on people’s daily lives.”

Fellow Bradwell Councillor Marie Bradburn, added:

“We know that many residents in Heelands rely on the post office for essential services and will struggle without a local branch. Not everyone has a car or is able to easily travel to the nearest post office which will make accessing services much harder. We will be visiting sheltered housing schemes in the surrounding area over the next few days to gather more signatures from residents.”

The petition which launched yesterday has over 250 signatures so far and residents are being urged to sign the petition by visiting https://www.change.org/p/save-post-office-services-in-heelands.

The Bradwell Focus Team will also be visiting residents in Bellfounder House, Fintergill Court, and Homeridings over the next few days so that the elderly community can sign the petition offline.

Residents can also find their local councillors outside Heelands shops over the weekend where they will be gathering more signatures.