MP secures meeting with minister to bring back post offices to Hawkshead and Shap

Cumbrian MP Tim Farron has secured a meeting with the Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business, Kevin Hollinrake MP, over the campaign to restore post offices to the villages of Hawkshead and Shap.

Following the resignation of the Postmaster, Hawkshead Post Office was closed at the end of last year. Meanwhile Shap has been without a post office since February after the couple running the newsagents retired.

Tim has been working with Post Office Ltd over the past year to try to find new premises in both villages which could house a post office.

Speaking during a Westminster Hall debate yesterday, Tim said: “I can think of a couple of villages in Westmorland and Furness - Hawkshead and Shap - that have lost their post office and where Post Office Ltd is working hard to restore them.

“Will the Minister pay particular attention to those communities to make sure that we get those replacements over the line, because we are all but done with getting them back on the street and back open?”

In response, Kevin Hollinrake said: “We are very happy to take up any particular issue that Members raise, as we do regularly through correspondence and other measures.

“Where there are closures of post offices, we will endeavour to reopen them, but that can be challenging. However, if there is a particular issue, I am very happy to meet the hon. Gentleman to discuss it.”