Post Offices - MP and AM urge constituents 'Use them or lose them'

1.00.00pm GMT Tue 10th Jun 2008

Reprieve for Tremont and Pendre Welcomed - Closures Deeply Regrettable Say Lib. Dems.

Brecon & Radnorshire's Liberal Democrat MP Roger Williams and AM Kirsty Williams have expressed their deep regret at Post Office Ltd's announcement that it is to go ahead with the closure of Cwmgiedd, Evenjobb, Llanfaes and Ridgebourne post offices. Erwood, Merthyr Cynog, Llandefaelog, Gladestry, and Pantydwr Post Offices will close with an outreach service operating in those communities. We warmly welcome the reprieve offered to Pendre Post Office in Brecon and Tremont Post Office in Llandrindod Wells. This is a tribute to the support that these businesses have had from these communities.

There is still hope for the future of Llanwrtyd Wells and Llyswen Post Offices while a decision on their future is 'escalated' to allow further discussion between Post Office Ltd and the post office watchdog Postwatch. The outcome is not certain but could involve a reprieve or an extended outreach which may be located within an existing shop or business. Also, a further 6 week consultation period has been started over the hours of opening of the proposed hosted service in Llanbister and it maybe that some improvements in the service can be obtained.

Commenting on the news, Roger Williams said:

"The retention of Pendre and Tremont Road Post Offices plus the escalation of discussions on Llyswen and Llanwrtyd, is a tribute to the tremendous campaigns run at local level by the people of those communities. It is also a vindication of the vigorous campaign run by Kirsty Williams and me, backed by the excellent work of local councillors and our dedicated staff. However, the closure of so many valued local post offices is a bitter blow to those communities, many of which are already suffering from a lack of accessible public services.

This round of the battle to save our post offices may be drawing to a close, but the next round to prevent further closures in the future begins today!"

Kirsty Williams added:

"Today's announcement by Post Office Ltd proves that if we do not use them, we will lose them. That is why Roger and I are calling on as many people as possible to sign the Federation of sub-Postmasters' 'Save the Post Office Card Account' postcards; for local businesses to use their local post office to, for example, pay their employees PAYE; urging Powys County Council to place as much business as it can, such as the payment of rent or council tax, in the post office network and generally urging the public to take full and frequent advantage of all the services their local post offices offer, such as buying their car tax discs there, rather than getting them on-line."