Post office closures in Cornwall announced

10:42am Tuesday 15th July 2008

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Almost 50 post office are destined to close in Cornwall under proposals by the Post Office Ltd. They include two in Falmouth town, Bar Road and Killigrew Street as well as Flushing, Budock and Devoran. Others in Truro, Helston, Redruth and Pool will also shut and among them the Post Office serving thousands of people at RNAS Culdrose.

Of the 227 branches which are proposed to remain in Cornwall it is proposed to establish 13 as outreach services, particularly in smaller communities - where the existing branch is proposed for closure.

Possible types of outreach service in Cornwall could include a mobile service visiting small communities at set times, a hosted service operated within third party premises for restricted hours each week, a partner service within the premises of a local partner (such as a pub landlord) or a Home Service were services are ordered in advance for delivery direct to the customer at home.

A consultation period is now under way and is due to end on September. The move comes despite a campaign by many in the area to save post offices in rural areas.

The purpose of the local public consultation is to obtain views on Post Office Limited's proposals to ensure that the branches that are ultimately selected for closure, or closure and replacement with an Outreach Service, are appropriate.

Post Office Limited has made it clear that it's programme is not designed to provide a forum for debate on whether branches should close, but is about ensuring that Post Office Limited has the best available knowledge to allow it to make the most informed decisions about which branches should close.

Tim Nickolls, Post Office Ltd's network development manager for Cornwall, said: "Taking the decision to close any Post Office branch is always very difficult and we know will cause concern to many of our customers. We want to ensure that everyone who uses, relies on or has any concern with post office services is both fully aware of the proposed changes, and able to give views on them."

Post Office Ltd claim 89.3 per cent of the area's population will see no change at all to their nearest branch. A further 9.1% live less than one mile, by road distance, from the nearest alternative branch, with 4.4% within half a mile.

Of those in Falmouth, Truro, Helston and Camborne-Redruth areas to close are: Ashton, Fore Street, Ashton Helston, TR13 9RN.

Budock Water, Falmouth, TR11 5DR.

Carharrack, Church Street, Carharrack, Redruth, TR16 5RW.

Close Hill, Redruth, TR15 1EP.

Devoran, 8 Carclew Terrace, Devoran, Truro, TR3 6PN.

Flushing, 42 Kersey Road, Flushing, Falmouth, TR11 5TR.

Kenwyn Street, 32-35 Bosvigo Road, Truro, TR1 3DD.

Killigrew Street, 110 Killigrew Street, Falmouth, TR11 3PT.

Malpas, Truro, TR1 1SN.

Mithian, Barkla Shop, St Agnes, TR5 0ZY.

Pool, 42 Fore Street, Pool, Redruth, TR15 3PE.

RNAS Air Station, Culdrose, Helston, TR12 7PU.

Silverwell, Blackwater, Truro, TR4 8JD.

The Bar, Bar Road, Falmouth, TR11 4BW.

Uplands, 27 Upland Crescent, Truro, TR1 1LZ.

To comment on this report and give your views, use the comment box below.

MP for Falmouth and Camborne, Julia Goldsworthy MP plans to fight each and everyone of the proposed closures. She said: "We will be working hard with local people to fight each and every one of these closures.

"We must protect the future of our Post Offices, which play such an important role in our lives, not only in terms of accessing services but also in providing a focal point for local communities in the area."It is an outrage that, after promising a full and proper consultation process, the Government will now be running this consultation over the summer months, when many people will be away on holiday or too busy with the influx of visitors to make their views fully known."We will not allow this cynical choice of timing to affect our campaign to save our Post Offices and local people are ready to fight these misguided and destructive proposals."There will be a public meeting on Thursday at 7pm ast the Flushing village club, another on Saturday, 10am, The Mills Hall, Caharrack, 1.30pm, Close Hill, Drump Road Children's Centre, Redruth, 2pm, Tregolls School, Truro, 3pm: Pool Business and Enterprise College, Sunday July 20, 11am, Budock Village Hall, Tuesday July 22, 7pm: WI Hall, Webber St, Falmouth.