Bosses force through Post Office closures in the face of local opposition

3.28.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 15th Nov 2004

The Post Office has announced that it is to go ahead with plans to axe nine post offices in West Wiltshire towns. The move comes despite campaigns from residents and councillors in Warminster, Westbury, Trowbridge and Melksham.

Commenting after the final decision had been announced, Lib Dem Spokesman Cllr Duncan Hames said:

"This news will be a blow to people across the district - especially pensioners."

Cllr Duncan Hames and local councillors challenged the national Post Office representatives about their plans to close West Wiltshire post offices.

The Post Office had earlier this year failed to find new homes for post offices evicted by Tesco after their buyout of the owners of the One Stop chain of local shops. Representatives of Post Office management had been invited to speak to local councillors about their plans at the beginning of November. But they pulled out shortly before announcing their final intentions to close all nine threatened post offices.

The closure programme had come about after two decisions on post offices by the Labour government. First they decided to introduce Automatic Credit Transfer and scrap the pension book, which dramatically cut the number of people visiting Post Offices and dismantled the postmasters' ability to make a living. Second they put a bill through Parliament allowing the closure of a third of town Post Offices to leave more business for those that were left. Lib Dem MPs voted against both proposals.

"Government ministers shouldn't wash their hands of these decisions." says Cllr Hames.

"One sub-postmistress told me that the ministers should come and watch her 90 year-old customers struggling to deal with the new PIN system at the post office counter. I really wonder if they care!" he added.

Key Facts on Post Offices Closures

Around 4,000 Sub-Post Offices closed under the Conservative government between 1979 and 1997.

Under the Tories, the Treasury took 90% of Post Office profits. None of this money was re-invested to face new competition.

Under Labour, Post Office Closures are escalating. 305 Post Offices closed across the country between March and June of this year.