A petition has been launched to save a Post Office in Gorton at risk of closure.
The Post Office on Wellington Road may close in the new year if a replacement operator is not found.
The petition, which has been shared on multiple Facebook groups for the area, was started by Justine McNamee-Hill and currently has more than 850 signatures.
Alongside the petition, this post was shared: “Please help to save Wellington Street Post office from closure. This is a much needed, and well used community facility.
“We don’t have a bank in Gorton, so many people use this Post Office for their banking needs, as well as all the other invaluable services that are provided there.
“Without this Post Office, elderly or disabled people, and people without their own transport will have a much harder journey to the nearest branch.
“The closure of this Post Office will make it a lot harder for the people of Gorton, and the wider area, to access the services that are provided there.”
Back in 2013, MP Sir Gerald Kaufman, who passed away in 2017 after serving as an MP for 47 years, warned that elderly residents would be ‘cast adrift’ if the proposed closure of the Post Office went ahead.
It was saved from closure then, but faces similar issues now as the lease for the Post Office is up.
Unless someone new renews the lease, or looks to incorporate the Post Office into their existing retail business at the site, it will be lost.
The nearest Post Offices from the Wellington Road site are more than a mile away, with a smaller Post Office on Mount Road or Manchester Road in Denton.
A post shared to the Facebook Group Levy Massive lamented the fact that Gorton has already lost other community services and amenities in the area including the swimming pool and cinema.
One commenter expressed the importance of signing the petition saying: “The community needs services and facilities such as the post office.
“So please sign the petition to stop the area getting any more run down and so disabled people and people without cars get access this vital service in their local area, rather than having to wait for the bus in the rain so they can traipse into town!”
A Post Office spokesperson explained that the operator of the Post Office has resigned, meaning the last day of service would be January 12. If a new operator can be found before this date, the Post Office could be saved.
The spokesperson said: “This was not a decision taken by Post Office. We know how important a Post Office is to a community and we are working hard to minimise any loss of service in the area.
“The vacancy has been advertised and there are interested retailers that we are in discussion with. In the interim alternative branches will include Mount Road, Higher Openshaw, North Road and Edge Lane.”
