Post Offices face cull as cuts to service revealed

10:31am Tuesday 13th May 2008

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NOT one of the 37 post office branches in the region fighting closure plans has survived a cost-cutting cull, it has been revealed.

Post Office Limited has this morning announced its final decision on the future of branches in Cleveland, South Durham and Richmond.

All 37 of those earmarked for closure since February are to be shut despite protests in many communities during six weeks of public consultation which ended in March.

During the consultation period, Post Office bosses said they received around 2,590 responses and attended 22 meetings with customers and their representatives to understand their concerns and to ensure that all information provided by them formed part of the final decision regarding each affected branch.

The first closures are scheduled to take place towards the end of June and outreach outlets will replace Post Office branches at two locations.

Adrian Wales, Post Office Ltd's network development manager North East, said: "These are difficult decisions which have not been taken lightly. We have considered very carefully all the comments made during the public consultation. We believe that the plan announced today offers our customers in this area the best prospect for a sustainable network in the future, bearing in mind the Government's minimum access criteria and the other factors the Government has asked us to consider."

The following branches will close: Bolam, School House, Bolam, Darlington, Boldron, Kilmond View, Boldron, Barnard Castle, Hutton Magna, Plum Tree Cottage, Hutton Magna, Richmond, Jubilee Fields, 38 Coronation Avenue, Shildon, Kirk Merrington (Temporarily closed), 14 Front Street, Kirk Merrington, Spennymoor, Leeholme, Bishop Auckland, Page Bank, Jesmond House, Whitworth, Spennymoor, Romaldkirk, The Kirk Inn, Romaldirk, Barnard Castle, South Church, 94 St Andrews Road, South Church, Bishop Auckland, Toft Hill, 149 Toft Hill, Bishop Auckland, Tudhoe Colliery, 18 Attwood Terrace, Spennymoor, Winston, 3 Richardson Close, Winston, Darlington, Cleveland Terrace, 17-19 Cleveland Terrace, Darlington, Hopetown, 7 Brinkburn Road, Darlington, Milbank, 37 Pierremont Crescent, Darlington, Elwick Road, 79 Elwick Road, Hartlepool, Hart, 1 Front Street, Hart, Hartlepool, Raby Estate, 43 Chatham Road, Hartlepool, Roman Road, 41 Roman Road, Middlesbrough, Charltons, Charltons, Saltburn-By-The-Sea, Moorsholm, 44 High Street, Moorsholm, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Lazenby, Lazenby Post Office, 23 High Street, Lazenby, Middlesbrough, Park Avenue, Park Avenue, Redcar, Brompton, 2 Northallerton Road, Brompton, Northallerton, North End, 47 High Street, Northallerton, Seamer, 29 The Green, Seamer, Middlesbrough, Waitwith, Plumor Road, Catterick Garrison, West End Richmond, 1 Reeth Road, Richmond, Croft, 12 Tees View, Hurworth Place, Darlington, Heighington, Village Hall, Darlington Road, Heighington Village, Newton Aycliffe, Hutton Henry, Front Street, Hutton Henry, Hartlepool, Simpasture, 5 Simpasture Gate, Newton Aycliffe, Cowpen Estate, 29 Cowpen Lane, Billingham, Thorpe Thewles, The Post Office, Thorpe Thewles, Stockton-On-Tees, Wolviston Court, 4 Clifton Avenue, Billingham, Long Newton, The Wilson Institute, Village Hall, Darlington Road, Long Newton, Stockton-On-Tees, Oxbridge Lane, 81 Oxbridge Lane, Stockton-On-Tees.

Outreach services will replace branches at Osmotherley and Swainby.

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