Cornwall Council is calling on Post Office Limited to suspend its plans to replace the Crown Post Offices in Penzance and St Austell with franchised services based in shops or out of town supermarkets to give local communities the time to develop alternative proposals.

Members at this week’s meeting of the full council supported a motion put forward by Jim McKenna, the councillor for Penzance Promenade, and seconded by Malcolm Brown, the councillor for St Austell Bethel, formally requesting the company suspend the proposed franchise programme in Cornwall, pending the development of a fully costed evaluation of alternative options working with local representatives, prior to any final decision being taken.

Explaining that the Post Office was inviting expressions of interest from businesses interested in operating the franchised post office operation without any consultation with town councils, Cornwall Council, MP’s or the affected communities, Mr McKenna said the plans would damage the viability of the town centres and would result in a smaller range of services being offered, with fewer staff providing them.

“The Crown Post Offices in Penzance and St Austell are key community assets which are valued by both local residents and visitors to the towns” said Mr McKenna. “As well as threatening the future of these post offices, the proposals are the first of a three stage programme which could also see the post offices in Camborne, Redruth, Truro, Newquay and Liskeard disappear over the coming months and years.

“I am delighted that there was such strong cross party support for this motion at this week’s council meeting. This is an issue which has united Penzance and thousands of people have already pledged their total opposition to the proposal by Post Office Limited to franchise out and close our Crown Post Office in the town.

“I hope the Council’s intervention, which follows the line set by Penzance Town Council, the Chamber of Commerce and the BID, will give us the time to develop alternative proposals which would allow the Post Office to remain in its current location and also see the four apartments which have lain empty for the past 12 years brought back into use, which would generate substantial additional income to improve further the profitability of the Post Office."

Seconding the motion, Malcolm Brown said: “Post offices are a vital part of town centres and I believe they have a responsibility to deliver their service in a way which contributes in the strongest way possible to the vitality of the town.

“In St Austell the Crown Post Office is one of the main attractions that draws shoppers into the town centre. Their strategy should be to develop their very strong brand. The message that they are seeking to move and presumably run their service down is very disappointing. It is also bad that they have failed to engage properly with community representatives and consult them. The staff in the Post Office are excellent. It is very bad that they now face an uncertain future” .

Following the vote by members to support the motion, the council’s chief executive has written to Post Office Limited to request the suspension of the franchise programme in Cornwall.