Public prepare to fight to keep local post offices

Public meetings are taking place across Herefordshire in a bid to fight off plans to close 20 post offices in the county.

Herefordshire Council arranged the meetings after a seminar at council headquarters in Hereford on Wednesday 3 September, when representatives from Post Office Limited heard a barrage of criticism from local people over their closure plans.

A well-attended meeting at Pembridge Village Hall in the north of the county on Friday (12 September) agreed that the loss of their post office would hit the most vulnerable in the community.

There are further meetings taking place this week. They are: Lower Eggleton, at Yarkhill Parish Hall, on 17 September; Lyonshall's Royal George Hotel on 18 September; Tudorville Youth Centre on 19 September and another at Cradley next week is yet to be finalised.

Herefordshire Council says the local rural way of life is under attack after learning that the county faces the closure of 20 post offices, which were confirmed in an announcement by Post Office Limited last month (27 August 2008). Of these, nine will be replaced by a limited 'outreach' service.

Herefordshire is the most sparsely populated county in the West Midlands and has been hit harder than any other part of the region by the closure programme, particularly in the north of the county.

The 20 post offices earmarked for closure are: Almeley, Bishops Frome, Bishops Wood at Ross on Wye, Brampton Bryan, Brampton Road at Hereford, Brockhampton near Fownhope, Cradley, Dorstone, Edwin Ralph, Langrove at Ross on Wye, Lower Eggleton, Lyonshall, Pembridge, Redhill at Hereford, Rushall, Sutton St Nicholas, Tudorville at Ross on Wye, Upper Sapey, Whitney on Wye and Wigmore

Post Office Limited are intending to partly replace 9 of these post offices with 'outreach' facilities, meaning they will be closed and replaced by a very limited mobile service in car parks, petrol stations, village halls or local pubs. These are: Almeley, Bishops Frome, Cradley, Dorstone, Lower Eggleton, Pembridge, Upper Sapey, Whitney on Wye and Wigmore.

In a detailed submission to the Department of Trade and Industry, Herefordshire Council has previously argued that closure plans would see the marginalisation and exclusion of thousands of vulnerable people, such as older people, low-income families or those without a car, who rely on their local post office.

"Post offices are very often village stores too, and are at the heart of village life, especially in the more remote areas of the county", said Councillor Blackshaw, cabinet member for economic development and community services. "Herefordshire has a rapidly growing population of frail, older people who depend on their local shop and post office and their quality of life and ability to be independent will be compromised severely if these closures go ahead".

The post office consultation ends on 7 October.

Herefordshire Council is fighting on two fronts to safeguard the rural way of life. It is also battling to save around 100 telephone kiosks threatened with the axe by telecommunications giant BT. The council is asking parish councils and local people to write in and voice their concerns and ideas on how the council can work with them and their local MPs to protect village post office services and telephone boxes. They can write to: Anthony Bush, parish liaison and rural services officer, Herefordshire Council, Plough Lane, Hereford HR4 0XH, or e-mail abush@herefordshire.gov.uk