Senior members of Lancashire County Council have slammed proposed post office closures claiming the moves will lead to the “slow death of rural communities”.
The three main political parties on the county council have united together to condemn government plans to close 56 post offices within Lancashire. Six other branches will be replaced by outreach services. Councillors have pledged to contact their respective Lancashire MPs and central government representatives to raise their concerns and urge the government to reconsider.
A petition is also planned that residents will be able to sign in local venues, such as libraries. County Councillor Doreen Pollitt, deputy leader of Lancashire County Council, said:
These plans will remove an important part of our neighbourhoods. The county council is working closely with the district councils to improve our local areas and develop sustainable communities. These plans would go against that work and be seriously damaging to our county. The people who are taking these decisions need to be clear about the very serious impact of these closures.”
County Councillor Shelagh Derwent, speaking on behalf of the Conservative group said: “In many cases, particularly in rural areas, the post office is combined with a shop which is the only place people can buy groceries and other day to day requirements. The shop is not viable without the post office and elderly residents and young mothers are faced with long and complicated bus journeys to buy their basic necessities. Closing post offices without proper consideration of all the consequences can result in the slow death of rural communities.”
County Councillor David Whipp, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, said:
“Lancashire has already had to bear the brunt of office closures and we are now being targeted again. We cannot underestimate the negative impact this will have on our communities, both urban and rural alike.”
The comments were made following the recent full council meeting where a Notice of Motion was passed by the councillors stating: “This county council strongly objects to the proposals for the closures of Post Offices in Lancashire which are much valued by local communities.”
