Time to sound the last post? (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Time to sound the last post?

6:31am Monday 14th April 2008 in Our View By Telegraph & Argus

The news that yet more of the district's post offices face the axe will quite rightly be greeted with dismay in the areas affected.

Not just the purveyors of stamps and road tax discs, these facilities are often the hub of the local community and provide vital services, especially for those who are unable to travel great distances due to health, age or economic reasons.

The last time post offices were put up for closure in the Bradford area, in 2004, the Telegraph & Argus fought the decision. Sadly, the postal services regulator Postwatch did not offer any objections to the proposed closures, and 16 of the 17 threatened facilities did indeed cease to exist.

Perhaps it is now time for Bradford Council to intervene, as local authorities have done in other areas.

At the last round of closures the T&A suggested that post office counters could be incorporated in the many public offices run by Bradford Council across the district, such as benefits offices and tax payment centres.

Earlier this year Essex County Council announced that it intended to buy post offices earmarked for closure, and Post Office bosses have said they are willing to work with other local authorities on this matter.

This is a credible and possible solution and would ensure that the vital services provided by post office counters continue to be available to those who need them most.