Save our Post Offices campaign update

Finally, the sham 'consultation' period is over, and as expected the Post Office has kept the hit list of Post Offices it wants closed largely intact.

We have been pressing Devon County Council to commit to saving the vast majority of the threatened Post Offices, as well as collecting names on a petition that will be presented to County Council leader Cllr. Brian Greenslade. The support for our campaign, particularly in the Exeter area, has been strong. In addition to local supporters, former Labour MP and Postmaster General Tony Benn also gave the campaign his backing.

The County Council's approach has been very weak to say the least. During the 'consultation' period it earmarked only 10 to keep open in its submission to the Post Office. A motion passed by the Council Executive earlier in the month contained only vague generalities and a committment to appoint a 'Project Worker'.

What the council needs is a bit of imagination and a bit of backbone. The Post Offices can be saved if the council steps in. These can be used as community facilities with sub-postmasters and mistresses given the opportunity to top up their income by undergoing training to perform council services closer to where people live. Council funds could also be used to develop the Post Offices to perform other functions - a local shop or coffee house perhaps. A democratic plan could have been drawn up by people living in the area served by the Post Office.

In response to lobbying by Devon Socialist Party, Brian Greenslade promised that Devon would react to the threat with a better plan than Essex's. Essex County Council saved the bulk of their threatened Post Offices. Unless Cllr. Greenslade and his associates have a rabbit up their sleeves, their 'better plan' of letting the Post Offices close seems a little underwhelming. The campaign will continue, as it will against generalised cutting of public services.