Local MP challenges post office closures
Local MP Helen Goodman has written to Post Office Ltd to highlight her concerns about the proposed closure of twelve local post offices across the Bishop Auckland constituency.
Today (March 26) marks the end of a six-week public consultation period on the proposed closures announced in the Post Office’s Area Plan Proposal for Cleveland with South Durham and Richmond.
Helen said:
“The public consultation has been vital to gauge local feeling about the Area Plan Proposals. In the last six weeks, I have visited many of the post offices in my constituency that have been identified for closure…and I have collected more than 2,000 signatures from concerned constituents”.
In her submission, Helen emphasised the impact that closure would have on the quality of the local post office services, and on the fabric of the communities affected.
Helen highlighted the importance of ensuring that mobile post offices would visit any area affected by closure on a twice-weekly basis, and made particular reference to ensuring the branches at Jubilee Fields, Toft Hill, Leeholme and Hutton Magna remain open.
Helen said:
“Jubilee Fields is one of the most regularly used post office branches in Shildon, and I have collected signatures from 827 local residents who share my concern about the closure of this branch.
The closure of Jubilee Fields will inevitably cause local residents to use the neighbouring Church Street branch, where customers are already likely to experience long queues, so I am unconvinced that it will be able to cope with such a considerable increase in demand.
The post office at Jubilee Fields also forms part of a small parade of shops, and the business generated by the post office is vital to the success of the a number of these businesses. The local area is therefore likely to degenerate without this Post Office.
Similarly, I am concerned that the closure of the Toft Hill branch will place an unsustainable burden on the neighbouring High Etherley branch.
It is clear that Toft Hill has considerable support in the local community – three years ago, it was voted the best rural post office in the North East – so I am unable to understand why Toft Hill has been chosen for closure”.
Helen also emphasised that the proposal to close the Leeholme branch was “quite unacceptable” while the neighbouring Coundon post office remained shut.
Helen said:
“The Post Office analysis was done before the Coundon Post Office closed and is therefore conducted on a false basis. Closure of both branches would mean that the 3,700 strong community in the Leeholme and Coundon area would have to travel 2.5 miles to Bishop Auckland town centre to used the nearest post office”.
Baring in the mind the importance of local post offices to rural communities, Helen also highlighted that the closure of Hutton Magna would mean local residents would have to travel nearly six miles to access ‘local’ post office services.
Helen said:
“The ‘Network Change’ guidelines stipulate that ‘95% of the rural population should be within 3 miles of their nearest branch’, but if Hutton Magna were to close, the nearest post office – Gainford – would be 5.84 miles away.
Not only is this nearly twice the recommended maximum distance between post offices, but there are also no direct bus services available between the two branches.
It is quite unreasonable, therefore, to expect residents in Hutton Magna to travel almost six miles without any public transport provision”.
Helen has submitted her recommendations to Post Office Ltd, along with petitions collected at the twelve threatened branches.
