2,500 more post offices to close

Following the Secretary of State’s announcement today on the future of the Post Office network, the indication is that 500 new ‘outreach’ outlets for small remote communities will be set up including mobile post offices and services operating from village halls, community centres and pubs.

Today’s announcement does not include decisions on individual post offices. Post Office Ltd will draw up local area plans within the national framework with input from local authorities, MPs, Postwatch and subpostmasters, for consultation with local people, to be implemented over an 18 month period from Summer 2007.

Trade Secretary Alistair Darling said he wanted to guarantee "reasonable access" throughout the country but the current network was "unsustainable" - about 2,500 post offices - a fifth of those left in the UK - are to close by 2009.

I am deeply concerned that further closures will devastate local communities, particularly in rural areas. More than 4,000 post offices have already shut in the past eight years. This next round of cuts will hit hard in Gloucestershire and will hit many communities very hard indeed.

Stamps can now be bought at shops, benefits are increasingly paid into bank accounts, and utility bills can be paid direct - depriving offices of an increasing amount of traffic. Nationally, 8.7m out of the 11m pensioners, for instance, receive their pension direct into a bank account. We need actions to protect these important community services - see previous blogs re answers to the consultation questions.

To read the full response document including key elements of the strategy, visit http://www.dti.gov.uk/consultations/page36024.html