RICHMONDSHIRE District Council has written to Post Office bosses to express its concerns over its “damaging and destructive” proposals for branch closures in this area of the Yorkshire Dales.

Among the closure proposals are two branches within Richmondshire and two just outside, but used by Richmondshire residents.

The letter follows a meeting of the Council in which councillors unanimously resolved:

“Richmondshire District Council deplores the proposals by the Post Office to close the post offices that serve residents of the district, namely Plumer Road, Catterick Garrison; Reeth Road, Richmond; Hutton Magna and Croft on Tees, and calls on the Post Office to reconsider these damaging and destructive proposals immediately and that all options be explored to support post offices from now and into the future.”

The letter highlights concerns expressed by members of the Council in relation to a number of issues:

• closing local branches and forcing customers to travel further to alternative post offices would inevitably increase travel congestion
• a local post office for anyone with mobility problems is a particularly valuable community asset and is not easily replaced with its nearest alternative
• the Government has failed to grasp the opportunities for greater commercial freedom to provide new products and services to post office, working with other organisations such as local authorities
• the role the post office plays in providing a vital link for small businesses and the services they require has been overlooked

The letter also challenges the accuracy of much of the data contained within the Post Office’s branch access reports, which form the basis of the closure proposals.

Councillor Jane Parlour, who represents the Croft ward, said: “I’m pleased our representations to the Post Office include specific reference to Croft Post Office, which although located within County Durham provides a vital service to residents in the north of the district.

“It seems from the Post Office documentation that when conducting their review they have overlooked the impact on Richmondshire residents, concentrating instead on alternatives available to County Durham residents.”

Councillor Melva Steckles, Leader of Richmondshire District Council, said: “The proposals to close four post offices which serve the residents of Richmondshire do not appear to be based on sound data, do not reflect the needs of the district, will disadvantage some of our neediest communities and fail to support small businesses.

“That is why we have written to the Post Office expressing our serious concerns, and urging them to think again about these proposals.”