Criticisms as first Post Office closures named

The Liberal Democrats have attacked the planned Post Office closures as 'unnecessary'.

The Post Office today launched a provisional list of branches scheduled for closure, with 2,500 local Post Offices set to close by the end of next year.

They include 77 branches in the east Midlands, 58 branches in Kent and 45 in east Yorkshire.

A further 35 branches could be replaced by "outreach services," with services traditionally provided by Post Office branches transferred to local shops or pubs.

The list is subject to a public consultation, closing on November 12 2007.

The government announced at the end of last year that 2,500 post offices must close. They found the Post office was unprofitable with the network losing £4 million a week, twice as much as two years ago.

Today the Liberal Democrats said the cuts were unnecessary, arguing there are ways of sustaining the network without breaking the bank.

Lembit Opik, Lib Dem spokesman on business, enterprise and regulatory reform, said the government was unwilling to look for solutions.

Mr Opik said: "What is the point in consultation if the views of accountants are more important than those of the customer?

"Once again vital services are being lost to communities for the sake of money and because of an assessment process that takes little account of the effects of the changes being made."

The Conservatives said the government had refused to look at new ways to bring in business and seemed determined to manage the decline of the network.

Shadow Post Office minister Charles Hendry said: "The next Conservative government will immediately stop the compulsory closure of profitable sub-post offices and review new ways of bringing additional business into the network, so we can maintain the service rather than merely manage its constant decline."

The Post Office maintains that if the closures takes place 99 per cent of the population will see no change to their local branch and still live within a mile of a Post Office.

Post Office Ltd managing director, Alan Cook, 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 changes we are proposing to meet government requirements, and able to give views on how accessible services will be in the future."