Post Office plans to close 45 branches in Cumbria will be officially opposed by county councillors because they discriminate against older people and the methodology used by the Post Office in deciding which branches to close has been clouded by a lack of detail and financial information.
The Post Office's consultation process has been criticised as insensitive to local conditions and failing to recognise opportunities to work with local people to deliver an improved service. This means that some of the most vulnerable people in the county - older people without their own car and young families - haven't been properly considered in the Post Office's criteria. The issue is particularly important in Cumbria, which has an ageing population where more than 1 in 3 people will be of retirement age by 2029.
The rationale behind the list of 45 proposed closures has also been criticised for its lack of transparency in terms of the business case for shutting individual branches. The Post Office has refused to divulge turnover figures or customer numbers for individual branches, making it impossible to judge whether the branch is viable or not.
A County Council organised meeting held yesterday (May 7) in Kendal was attended by 80 people, including county and district councillors, MP offices, representatives of parish councils and Voluntary Action Cumbria. This solidified opposition against the proposed closures at all council levels. A meeting of the county council's economy and culture scrutiny panel to be held tomorrow (May 9) will give a further opportunity to voice concerns over the impact the closures will have on Cumbria's communities.
The outcome of these meetings will shape the official county council response to be agreed at a Cabinet meeting next week (May 13) and presented to the Post Office before its May 27 deadline when the consultation ends.
Cllr Gary Strong, Cumbria County Council’s cabinet member responsible for community development, said:
"This whole consultation has been too quick, too brutal and too simplistic. We have seen plenty of smoke and mirrors tactics from the Post Office in the way the whole exercise has been carried out. We needed more information to shape a detailed response which, frankly, just hasn't been provided by them.
"We wholeheartedly oppose the closure of any post offices in the county and our response to the consultation will reflect this. But, realistically, some branches will start closing this summer whether we like it or not. The county council will be focusing its efforts on what we can do to support individual businesses such as village shops which may be threatened if the post office disappears. We will also be examining the feasibility of using council premises to deliver some of the key community services which are currently offered by the Post Office."
ENDS
Please note: Cumbria County Council's media team telephone numbers have now changed.
Media enquiries to Gareth Cosslett, News Manager on 01228 226332
Note
The Post Office is consulting on plans to close 35 branches in Cumbria and to replace a further 10 branches with outreach services. Full details of the proposed closures can be found at http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/pon/