A leading county councillor is warning that the first round of proposed post office closures announced this week are a sign of things to come for Cumbria.
The Post Office has announced the first 180 branches chosen for closure under plans to shut 2,500 by the end of 2008.
Some 58 branches have been earmarked in Kent, 77 in the East Midlands and 45 in the East Yorkshire area.
A six-week public consultation will begin on which branches in Cumbria could be closed on March 18, 2008. The consultation will be run by the Post Office and more details can be found at www.postoffice.co.uk under 'Network Change'.
Cllr Gary Strong, Cumbria County Council's Cabinet member responsible for Community Development, said:
"This list is just the thin of the edge and we'll know next year which branches in Cumbria are threatened with closure. It is clear that the post office network is losing money and some closures will be inevitable. But I strongly urge the Post Office to take into account the vital role that post offices play in rural communities.
"Rural post offices are often the hub of the community and the value of the services they provide can't be measured in pure economic terms. Any plans to cut the number of post offices nationally must strike a fair balance between urban and rural branches as residents in rural areas contribute towards the Social Network Payment through their tax bill in the same way as residents in urban areas. Closing a disproportionate number of rural branches will be targeting the disadvantaged and socially excluded. It's important that as many people as possible fight this next March so our voice is heard."
ENDS
Media enquiries to Gareth Cosslett, News Manager on 01228 606332
Notes
- In December 2006 the Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling announced that 2,500 post offices will have to close by 2009 because of rising losses and fewer people using the network. New access criteria for post offices stated that 90% of the population should be within a mile of a branch and 95% of the population in rural areas should be within three miles of a branch, doubling to six miles in remote areas.
- There are currently 221 post offices in Cumbria.
- As part of a consultation response already issued to the DTI, Cumbria County Council conducted a survey of all SubPostmasters in the county to garner information on the services offered by individual branches and their income. A mapping exercise correlating the post office network with areas of high socio-economic need in rural parts of the county was also conducted:
Most post office users in Cumbria access the post office nearest to where they live (74% in the county's rural areas) and this proximity is more important to older people, people with low incomes and disabled people. These groups use the main services (postal services, collecting pensions and benefits, paying bills and banking) but also rely on the post office to obtain information on community and government issues, access free community services, seek informal advice from the sub-postmaster and for social contact. The proportion of the elderly (aged over 65) and those on low incomes using the post office at least once a week has risen.
- Research undertaken by Postwatch (2002) shows that when post offices in rural communities close, many people suffer a loss of independence and become reliant on others in the community or on public transport. 86% of respondents to the Postwatch Survey felt that losing a post office means 'a lot of people lose their independence' and over a quarter (27%) found it difficult to get to another post office when their local one closed.
- The county council has lobbied hard to retain the Social Network Payment, to ensure rural post offices can continue to fulfil their essential role in rural communities. It has previously written to the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott MP in his role as Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on the Post Office Network, arguing that closing rural post offices would have a direct impact on vulnerable groups and those already at risk of rural social exclusion. The payment will be retained at its current rate until 2011 with a commitment from the DTI that there will be an ongoing subsidy after this date.
- Access to post office services for residents of Cumbria is already poorer than the national average on a spatial level:
Post Offices per 10 sq km: Cumbria 0.33; England 0.85; Scotland 0.22, Wales 0.58 % of Rural Households within 2km of a post office: Cumbria 81.5%; England 85.7% % percentage of Cumbria's rural household more than 4km from a post office: Cumbria 3.9%; England 1.6%
- Due to the sparse nature of the county and the number of small settlements, Cumbria has a relatively high number of post offices. When assessed per 10,000 households, Cumbria has 10 existing outlets compared to 5.44 across England, 7.90 in Scotland and 9.92 in Wales. Many of these post offices are in small communities; consequently they serve small customer bases and generate very limited incomes (1 in 4 post offices in Cumbria generate sales of less than £5,000 per annum).
- In Cumbria 80% of post offices are run alongside other businesses such as shops, cafes, garages and pubs. These businesses provide a key service function for their communities and support the visitor economy. In the response to the DTI, the county council has argued that there is a risk that if the post office element of the business is taken away, then the remainder will also be under threat.
Follow this link to view more details about the consultaion (find under 'Network Change')