By ROBERT GIBSON robert.gibson@hexham-courant.co.uk

Published at 13:24, Thursday, 27 March 2008

TYNEDALE is bracing itself for a widespread closure of village post offices, a move which many claim could threaten the core of rural life in the district.

Bleak future: Could other post offices join Otterburn on the “closed” list?

The postal service's watchdog, Postwatch, has estimated 22 Northumberland branches could be shut in the Government's bid to increase profitability.

Only last week, 35 branches were earmarked for closure in Cumbria, while a further 10 are destined to be replaced by alternative services.

Fourteen closures have also been proposed in villages in County Durham and fears are growing here that Tynedale’s distinctly rural character leaves it particularly vulnerable.

According to the Government, 2,500 closures are needed to halt financial losses of £4 million a week. The Post Office is now to decide which branches are to go.

Public consultations for Northumberland are currently scheduled for July and August, but concerns have long been mounting over the potential effects on communities here.

Hexham’s MP Peter Atkinson said: “One of the main uses of the post office is the social aspect.

“In most places it is the hub of the community and if you have a village without a post office, you have a village without a heart and with no life.”

The Countryside Alliance’s regional director Richard Dodd said: “This is not just about post offices, it’s about what they are part of.

“Without the post office counter, many village shops will close.”

This could then lead to further problems as without sufficient facilities villages are deemed to be “unsustainable” and further development on them is prevented.

The services post offices are able to provide have been whittled down in recent years, and the Government has been accused of contributing to falling profits by encouraging people to receive benefits directly into their bank accounts.

TV licence fees, likewise, can no longer be paid at post offices, while clearing Northumbrian Water bills there will soon necessitate a counter fee.

The process of slashing post office numbers began in December 2006 when the then Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling announced a cut in rural subsidy.

It was calculated that the reduction in funding would equate to the loss of around 2,500 branches from the 14,000-strong national network.

Protests were launched against the plans, which were opposed by rural communities, politicians, and organisations like Age Concern, which fears the effects the closures could have on elderly customers.

On a national level, the proposals last week triggered a Labour rebellion in the House of Commons as 19 Labour MPs voted for a Conservative motion to halt them.

Locally, meanwhile, concerns have been raised about the timing of Northumberland’s public consultation, which will take place when many people are on holiday and some parish councils on breaks.

Leader of Tynedale Council Michael Walton said: “The consultation is important because this is the chance for local communities to put forward the case for their post offices to remain.

“The council is geared up to offer advice and support to individual communities when post offices are threatened with closure.

“We would like to gain public support in requesting the Post Office to change the consultation period to outside the school holiday period and to extend the consultation period to 12 weeks.

“We urge parish/town councils and residents to write to Network Change Programme Office, Post Office Ltd, FREEPOST, Network Change as soon as possible.”

Postwatch spokesman Andy Frewin likewise stressed that residents’ involvement in the consultation was essential.

“They have the local information that may change a Post Office proposal,” he said.

“The consultations are not about how many should be closed, but about which ones should close. We are just trying to make sure it’s the right 2,500.

“So far, 10 per cent of proposals have been changed because of comments made by Postwatch and by the public.”

Elsewhere in the country, 15 local authorities have expressed an interest in taking over the running of post offices, with Essex County Council recently becoming the first to discuss it with the Post Office.

Mr Atkinson expressed his support for this strategy, but Northumberland County Council has simply said it intended to “monitor the situation and will look to other councils to see what they are doing nearer the time.”

l See special report Pages 4 & 5

Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk