PROPOSALS to close the Hall Street Post Office in Soham have been slammed by councillors at all levels. Liberal Democrats are calling for a county-wide fund to be set up to help save this and similar post offices and will submit their plan to the county

PROPOSALS to close the Hall Street Post Office in Soham have been slammed by councillors at all levels.

Liberal Democrats are calling for a county-wide fund to be set up to help save this and similar post offices and will submit their plan to the county council today (Thursday). Judy Broadway, LibDem county councillor for Soham, said: "At a time when Soham is growing faster than ever before, it beggars belief that a local facility like this should be earmarked for closure. The northern part of the town has seen significant new housing and will see more. The main branch in the High Street is already overloaded and operating at full capacity. And to suggest that users of the Hall Street branch should go to Isleham as their nearest choice, is just plain silly and shows great ignorance of the local scene.

To lose the Hall Street branch, and possibly the shop that goes with it, would be a big blow for Soham. I do urge everyone in the town to write to the Post Office Consultation Team to keep this branch open."

Soham's town councillors were despondent that a post office in their town was one of the ones on the Post Office hitlist. Although many believed closures across the country were a foregone conclusion, all agreed to write to the Post Office to express their disagreement with the idea of closing Hall Street. "We've got to try to stop it," said Cllr Rosemary Aitchison, whereas chairman Chris Palmer mourned the possible loss of another facility in the town. "We are all sorry to se a facility close in the town and with an increased population, we need every one of them," he told a meeting last Monday.

Jim Paice MP visited Hall Street and St John's Road, Ely to meet post office staff and residents on Wednesday.

To find out what you can do, pick up a leaflet at your nearest post office branch and follow the instructions on the inside page, or go to www.elystandard24.co.uk and click on the Keep it Local banner on the homepage.