Agenda item

Post Office Closures

The Post Office has announced that 26 of its Cambridgeshire branches are expected to close or be replaced with a reduced service. The move is part of wider proposals to reduce the number of branches nationwide by up to 2,500. Six of the affected post offices are in South Cambridgeshire. These are:

The proposal is for the post offices in Fen Drayton, Granchester and Impington to close, whilst the post offices in Arrington, Elsworth and Over are to have either a hosted or a mobile Outreach Service. These are defined below:

Mobile Service 

• Mobile Post Office van with a counter service inside
• Parked at a pre-determined safe location
• Available at fixed periods, e.g. 90 minutes at specified hours on set days of the week 
  
  

Hosted Service 

• Mobile counter
• Located in a local community building or business such as a village shop, church hall or garage

Public Consultation

There will now be 7 weeks of public consultation ending 26th August 2008. During this time, individuals, businesses and communities will be invited to check and challenge the Government’s closure criteria applied by Post Office Limited to see if it has been correctly applied and to make a formal response.

A Guidance Note on how communities can effectively respond during the consultation period can be downloaded from Cambridgeshire ACRE’s website following this link: http://www.cambsacre.org.uk/services/advice_funding.htm

Sources of Help and Assistance for Communities

There are a number of actions that can be taken to minimise the negative effects if Post Office closures by individuals and communities as a whole. These include looking at alternative ways to provide key services.

A Guidance Note with further ideas and information can be downloaded from Cambridgeshire ACRE’s website following this link: http://www.cambsacre.org.uk/services/advice_funding.htm

Sources of Help and Assistance for Affected Post Office Businesses – The Post Office Closure Business Support Scheme

In Cambridgeshire, a support package has been funded by County and District Councils that will give one-to-one support from an experience Business Link Advisor. The Advisor can help analyse business needs and develop a business action plan.

A Guidance Note with full information can be downloaded from Cambridgeshire ACRE’s website following this link: http://www.cambsacre.org.uk/services/advice_funding.htm.

Short-term Support Strategy

The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Post Office Network Change Group has published a short-term support strategy outlining the work it will undertake on this important issue. There are separate strategies for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and copies of these can be downloaded from Cambridgeshire ACRE’s website following this link: http://www.cambsacre.org.uk/services/advice_funding.htm

Post Office Limited

Further information can be found on Post Office Limited’s website, including the Area Plan and Branch Access Reports. Please follow this link to be taken to the relevant area of the site: http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1?catId=57600693&mediaId=57600697

Postwatch

Postwatch is the independent consumer watchdog for postal services in the United Kingdom and plays an important part scrutinising and challenging closures before the closure list is announced. To find Postwatch information, go to www.postwatch.co.uk and select “post office closures”.

What next?

The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Post Office Network Change Group will be gathering together information in order to make a partnership response to the public consultation.

The Group is developing a longer-term strategy that looks beyond the current closure programme. This strategy will identify a range of actions to support the viability and survival of post office and other services in communities, as well as alternative and innovative ways of providing postal services to those communities left without. The strategy will be launched later this summer.

If you need any further information, please contact the Chief Executive’s Office at Cambridgeshire ACRE on 01353 865041 or email kirsten.bennett@cambsacre.org.uk

To remind you, Cambridgeshire ACRE is providing a briefing for District and Parish Councillors in the Chamber at 6.30pm on Wednesday 16 July. There are still places available. Bookings via Jackie Sayers 01954 713541.