Warwickshire's councils call for answers on post office closures

Elected members of Warwickshire County Council were joined by colleagues from the district and borough councils along with members from the county's town and parish councils to ask questions of the Post Office Ltd and independent watchdog for the industry, Postwatch, at a meeting at Shire Hall last week, Wednesday 9 July.  

Over 80 councillors and community leaders attended a meeting chaired by Cllr Alan Farnell, leader of the county council, to raise concerns about the effect that the closure of 17 post offices in the county would have.   

Consultation is ongoing about the post offices facing the axe.  Representations can go to Post Office Ltd until 4 August. Closures would then start to take effect in September and October.  

Among concerns raised were the accessibility of alternative facilities for communities whose post offices faced closure, the effect closures would have on village stores which co-exit alongside post offices, the availability of an outreach service for those left without a post office and the carbon emissions of people travelling to alternative post offices.  

Both Post Office Ltd and Postwatch agreed to look at all representations but could make no firm promises that the consultation would result in the decision to close any post offices in Warwickshire being reversed.  

Cllr Sue Wixey, Customer Services Portfolio with Stratford District council, said:   "It is encouraging that there is going to be full consultations thereby allowing local people to put their views and concerns forward, although painful decisions sometimes have to be made,  I hope common sense prevails.  Small businesses and many others in rural areas will be adversely subjected to the reduced service and an increased carbon footprint is not acceptable."  

Cllr Alan Farnell, leader of Warwickshire County Council, said:  "The chamber had many people in it from different political parties and different areas of the county who all agreed on one thing.  That the effect of closing post offices in Warwickshire will have a detrimental effect on our communities.  

"As well as potentially losing village stores along with their post offices removing key focal points for the communities, any closures will create terrible hardship and inconvenience for some of our most vulnerable citizens who struggle to travel any distance and will create an increase in emissions as residents are forced to travel outside their communities to access facilities.  

"We asked Post Office Ltd and Postwatch for assurances that this consultation is not just lip service and that, if community post offices can present a valid case for staying open, that they be removed from the list and that the numbers for closure are not then made up by another post office somewhere in the region."

Dates of public meetings for Stratford-upon-Avon:  

• Tuesday 15 July 6pm at HRI Wellesbourne
• Thursday 17 July 6pm at Great Alne Village Hall and
• Thursday 24 July 6pm at Stratford District Council, Church Street, Stratford-upon-Avon.