10/02/10 - Save Coulby Newham Post Office

See below a letter to the owners of the Parkway Centre as part of the campaign to save Coulby Newham post office:

Mr Patrick Kearney, Director, PBN Property Ltd

Adelaide House
Hawthorn Business Park, Falcon Road, Belfast
BT12 6SJ

Coulby Newham Post Office

Dear Mr Kearney

I am writing to you regarding Coulby Newham post office at the Parkway Centre, South Middlesbrough.  The office is set to close at the end of February.

It is crucial that the residents of Coulby Newham continue to be served by a local post office.  The branch is part of the lifeblood of the local neighbourhood and it would damage the fabric of the community if the office were to close.  It would affect the elderly and vulnerable in particular as many cannot travel far and yet they are often the most dependent on the services the office provides. 

I understand PBN Property has recently increased rent levels for tenants at the Parkway Centre.  This increase has meant that the management of the post office can no longer afford to stay at there.  Work is ongoing to find an alternative site for the post office with help from Middlesbrough Council.  However, this will take time. 

Given the fact that so many local people rely on the post office at Coulby Newham, will you consider allowing the post office to remain at the Parkway Centre paying a reduced rent on temporary basis while a permanent solution is found?  The post office already brings many people into the Parkway Centre who then also visit other shops.  Providing a temporary reprieve to the post office while another site is found, will generate a great deal of positive feeling from residents towards the Parkway Centre and would be hugely appreciated by me and other politicians and representatives from the local area.

If you or anyone else from PBN Property would like to discuss this matter or meet with me, please do not hesitate to get in touch.  I am absolutely determined to ensure that local residents are served by a local and reliable post office. 

You can telephone me on 01287 631928 or email me at paulbristow@hotmail.com.

Yours sincerely

Paul Bristow

Conservative Parliamentary Candidate, Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland