11:40am Wednesday 24th September 2008
By Lucy Tatchell
THE Post Office has been accused of withholding vital information about a Worcester branch it has earmarked for closure.
Representatives from Post Office Limited attended Worcester City Council’s scrutiny committee on Monday to discuss the proposed closure of the Bilford Road post office.
The council has been asked to comment on the proposal, but councillor David Tibbutt said unless committee members were shown vital data on how the closure decision was made they could not formulate a proper response.
“Data is being kept from us,” he said. “I am outraged that this information has not been provided. This information is fundamental to the decision-making process.”
Proposals to axe 10 post offices in south Worcestershire – including Bilford Road – were announced at the end of August.
It is part of a national closure programme following a fall in the number of people using post offices.
A decision about which branches should close was based on four measures – the average number of customers; how close it is to other branches; the ability of other branches to absorb customers and how much money would be saved if it closed.
But the relevant data has not been revealed by the Post Office.
Coun Mike Layland said: “How can we reach a decision and support you if we do not know the full extent?
“Of all the post offices that you could close, I would say Bilford Road has got to be top of the list to keep open for 1,001 reasons.”
Another concern raised at the meeting was the impact of the closure on nearby residents.
Coun Paul Denham said: “This segment of Worcester is quite a deprived area compared to other parts.
“Thirty per cent of householders do not have access to a car in that area.
“What I do not understand is how those people are supposed to get to another post office.”
Access to cashpoints for people to withdraw their benefits and pensions was also discussed.
Coun Alex Kear said the alternative cashpoint at Costcutter charged £3 per withdrawal.
“It is a lot of money and money you can put on gas on a cold winter night,” said Coun Kear.
Speaking after the meeting, Post Office spokeswoman Jaquie Stenson said: “We are not withholding information they would need, we have provided exactly the same information as we have to other councils.”
She said the only way the information would be made available would be via a member of parliament.
She said that the Post Office had considered the need for people to access cash when making the decision to close the Bilford Road branch.
A six-week period of public consultation ends on Tuesday, October 7.
To express your views about a closure, write to Mark Partington, Network development manager, c/o National consultation team, Freepost consultation team.
Letters should also be copied and sent to the consumer watchdog Postwatch at Freepost Postwatch.
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