Fears of 17 more post office cuts

Mar 14 2008 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

SEVENTEEN post offices in Kirklees could be closed, a politician has warned.

Clr Nicola Turner believes many local branches could be axed by the Government in May.

The Colne Valley Liberal Democrat said: “In other parts of the country large numbers of branches have shut.

“If closures are applied on a proportional basis, we could see 17 post offices closed in Kirklees.”

Now she has tabled a motion to next week’s Kirklees Council meeting asking that all closures be opposed.

In 2006, the Government announced that 2,500 of the country’s 14,000 post offices were likely to close within two years because of rising losses caused by fewer people using the network.

Post offices in Primrose Hill, Berry Brow, Taylor Hill, Rawthorpe, Greenside, Hillhouse, Crosland Moor, Lowerhouses and Rastrick have all been closed in recent years.

Clr Turner has submitted a motion to next week’s monthly meeting of Kirklees Council calling on the Government to stop the closure programme.

But she has doubts about proposals for councils themselves to take over the running of post offices.

This week Essex County Council announced that it was considering re-opening 15 branches in its area. Council leader Lord Hanningfield said 50 other councils had expressed an interest in the idea.

But Clr Turner is sceptical about the idea.

She said: “I don’t think we’ve had time to consider the implications of this proposal.

“It’s an interesting idea but my worry is that it would be a way for the Government to pass the buck to local councils.”