Post Office closures body blow to local communities
Press Release :
1 April 2008
Philip Dunne MP commented on today's disclosure by Post Office Ltd that the brunt of the Government's plans to close post offices in Shropshire will fall on rural communities in the Ludlow constituency.
"I am appalled that half of the 28 closures planned for Shropshire will be in the Ludlow constituency. Our remote village communities seem to have been singled out for this further body blow to sustaining village life.
Of the 14 post offices slated to be axed, 9 are in village shops or garages, many of which will struggle to survive the loss of business which the post office brings.
Under the compensation arrangements Post Office Ltd will prevent these shops from continuing to offer competing services such as bill payments or access to cash. This further threatens the viability of the last remaining shop in the village.
The proposed 'outreach' mobile van services will only be available a few hours a week to 7 of the communities affected, which will be no substitute in most of these villages where the post office doubles as the local shop.
I am determined to support local residents in fighting these closures. I have launched local petitions to present to the House of Commons, which can be completed on-line or downloaded from my website www.philipdunne.com.
I have spoken to each of the sub-postmasters affected and will be visiting each post office in the next few days.
There are some very odd inclusions in this list and a few surprising omissions, such as one post office which has been closed for a year with little prospect of finding anyone to take it on. This may mean even more post offices will actually close in the constituency than has been announced today.
I urge all residents concerned to keep our post offices to participate in the consultation, details of which are on my website and will be in the local press. Please also sign the petition and look out for local events in your area to save our post offices." | 
