Disgust at Post Office Closures

The County is reeling from the news that 19 post offices are set to close, the only glimmer of hope is the news that Post Office Limited is still reviewing the future of Tudorville Post Office.

"This will come as terrible news for communities across Herefordshire which will be devastated to learn that they are to lose vital rural facilities," said Councillor Adrian Blackshaw, cabinet member for economic development and community services.

"Despite a huge amount of work to try and get the Post Office to reconsider the closures, it would appear our efforts have fallen on deaf ears. Post Office limited has disregarded the well argued case put forward by Herefordshire Council to protect services for the benefit of our communities.

"The news about a possible reprieve of Tudorville post office comes as little solace when you look at the impact this is going to have on many disadvantaged and vulnerable people living in remote corners of the county."

Local campaigners had fought hard to save the post offices. Jesse Norman said:?"There is a glimmer of hope for Tudorville, thanks to all the hard work that local residents have put in to save the Post Office.

"But it is vital not to be complacent. This may be a false dawn. The Post Office has been planning to put in a new 'pilot' service in Tudorville. But it has long been clear that they did not know what this 'pilot' actually meant, or which services it would include. So the delay may simply be to allow them to make up their minds!

"We must continue to fight the closure as hard as we can. The Post Office has now closed down the formal avenues of appeal. But I will be writing to Allan Leighton, the Chairman of the Royal Mail, in a personal capacity to argue the case at the highest level. He is a Herefordian by birth, so it may be that he will understand the specific local reasons why Tudorville must stay open."

Hereford and South Herefordshire's Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Sarah Carr has spoken of her disappointment. Sarah has slammed the consultation process as a 'cynical exercise'.

Sarah said: "I am pleased that plans to close Tudorville Post Office are being reviewed by Postwatch – we will need to keep up the campaign during the review.

It has become painfully obvious that the Post Office has been forced by government into a cynical exercise where the numbers of protesters or the quality of argument counts for little.