Kelvin Hopkins MP



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Hot Issues
Threatend Post Office Closures in Luton North
	On Tuesday 8th July the Post Office Ltd announced their recommendations and public consultation as to which branches in the region should close. The Post Office has recommended that two branches in Luton North should shut. They are: Atherstone Road (map) and Trinity Road (map). The formal public consultation lasted six weeks - ending on 28th August. Kelvin would like to thank all the hundreds of people who signed his petition objecting to the Post Office closures.
On Monday 14th July, Kelvin visited the two post offices in his Luton North constituency threatened with closure. He met the local postmasters and promised his support in resisting the closures. Kelvin said, "I have spoken to both Mr Arvindbhai Patel of the Atherstone Road Branch, and Mr Mahendra Patel of Trinity Road Branch and it is clear that both post offices serve substantial local communities and are vital local facilities, especially for the elderly and those without cars. For others who do drive, there is also sufficient temporary parking - which is essential and not always available at large central post offices. Both post offices are also local general stores which might not be viable without the incorporated post offices and if they were forced to close this would be a terrible loss local people. I am writing to the Post Office and to Ministers opposing the closures and hope too that many local people will contact me to express their views." Kelvin has opposed post office closures in Parliament, on the radio and on television and is adamantly opposed to the wave of closures now being imposed across the country. Luton's Labour council is opposed to the closure of Post Offices in the town.

Kelvin is pictured (far left) outside Atherstone Road Post Office and (left) outside the Trinity Road Post Office.

Let's keep our Post Offices open
The local Post Office branch plays a vital role in the social and economic life of many of our communities in Luton. Labour in Luton is determined to see that Post Office Ltd listens to the views of local residents.
The Post Office Ltd will start a formal public consultation about the future of branches in Luton on the 16th June 2008. As soon as the details are available we will post them on this website.
I want to see that the Post Office understands the needs of local people in our communities in Luton.
I will be making the strongest possible representation to the Post Office about the future of local branches and would encourage anyone worried about the impact on your local branch to do the same - together we can make our voice heard.

What you can do to oppose the Post Office closures:

1. Write a letter to the Post Office and let then know what you think about the closures.
A draft reply to the Post Office consultation for our local Post Offices is available by clicking here.

2. Send Post Office Ltd an email with your views about the closures.
Click here to send an email to Post Office Ltd.

3. Complete my online survey and let me know your views.
Click here to complete the survey and petition online - we will then pass your concerns onto the Post Office.

4. Write to me and let me know your views.
Send me a letter (to: Kelvin Hopkins MP, 3 Union Street, Luton LU1 3AN) expressing you concerns that I can pass onto Post Office Ltd.

5. Sign the Downing Street petition.
Click here to sign the Downing Street petition that we have set up to oppose the Luton Post Office closures.

Useful Websites:

Postwatch The watchdog for postal services

Post Office Closures - National Action Group

Luton Town Football Club

	In June the football club was deducted ten points and fined Ł50,000 by the Football Association after being found guilty of misconduct involving payments to agents. The Club had been deducted an automatic ten points back in November last year when it entered administration. On Thursday 10th July LTFC2020 (the fan led consortium trying to take the club out of administration) was told it had to accept a further 20 point penalty if the club wanted to play in League Two next season. This penalty was for not satisfying the FA's insolvency rules. These rules were broken by the Club's previous administration, not by LTFC2020. The Club will have to start next season at minus 30 points.
Kelvin and Luton South MP, Margaret Moran, put down an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House of Commons. It reads: " Margaret Moran MP is appalled at the decision of the FA to deduct a further 20 points from Luton Town FC, inflicting a crushing deficit of 30 points at the start of the Club's next season in Division 2; believes that this punishment is grossly disproportionate and massively unfair to the Town's many loyal fans who are entirely innocent of any wrongdoing; and therefore calls on the FA to reconsider its decision and restore the 20 points, recognising that the Club would still begin the next season with a heavy 10 point deficit."

Airport Flight Paths The National Air Traffic Services Ltd (NATS) propose to alter the flight paths for aircraft arriving and departing London Luton Airport. This is part of changes to the airspace above London and a large part of South East England called 'Terminal Control North' (TCN) and covers some of the UK's busiest airports - Heathrow, London City, Stansted and Luton plus some smaller airfields. The proposals redesign aircraft routes through the region and over Luton and give Luton a new dedicated hold, where aircraft queue at busy times for their clearance to land. NATS had a 13 week consultation period on the proposals which finished on 19th June 08 and feedback will be published here towards the end of July 08. The full consultation is at the NATS website. Aircraft flights over Luton North are too high to cause disturbance, but the proposed alterations will mean that residents who live closer to the airport might suffer increased disturbance. Kelvin is keen to support Luton South MP, Margaret Moran, in her campaign against these changes.