Bishop offers solution to post office closures

Apr 26 2008 by Ben Guy, The Journal

MOVING post offices to churches instead of shutting down rural services is an option that should be considered, a North East MP has said.

Peter Atkinson is MP for Hexham and the surrounding area and has opposed the closure of the post offices because of the effect it will have on those living in rural locations and the elderly.

As revealed in yesterday’s Journal, the Right Reverend Martin Wharton, Bishop of Newcastle, proposed using churches to house post offices in rural areas.

During a House of Lords debate, he said: “Isolated and dispersed deprivation is very difficult to address but the Churches stand ready, with buildings in almost every rural community, to play our part to save some of the most basic services for our people.”

Last night, Mr Atkinson added his support for the idea. He said: “Something like this is definitely a goer. I would like to see them kept going as they are, but what a good idea to make use of the church.

“One of the important things about the post office is that it is somewhere where people can meet up and be part of the community.”

Mr Atkinson added that the ideas offered as alternatives to the closures showed that a complete shut down of services in certain areas was not the only option for Royal Mail.

Both Northumberland and Durham county councils have investigated the possibility of running post office services themselves, while Newcastle City Council has said it is considering allowing council buildings to be used.

Mr Atkinson added: “It is wrong just to try to shut them down rather than find another way to do it.

“This is a good suggestion and other good suggestions have been made, all of which should be considered.

“I am also pleased that there is such a bandwagon beginning to roll on this subject, which might save some of our post offices.”

The Rev Dave Wood, of St John’s Church, in Snods Edge, Northumberland, said that while the idea would not work for all churches, it could work in some.

“There might be planning difficulties but they could be overcome and it is always good for the church to become more part of the community.

“In a hamlet like ours there won’t really be the demand, but you would think it would be something that could work at other churches.”

The Government plans to close about 2,500 post offices across the UK, with 14 closures in the south of County Durham already announced.

Closures for the rest of Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear will be announced in July.

A spokesman for the post office said: “The Government has recognised that fewer people are using Post Office branches, partly because traditional services, including benefit payments and other services are now available through other means, such as online or directly through banks.

“It has concluded that the shape and size of the overall network of post office branches needs to change.”

For previous stories on the post office closure controversy, click the links below:

:: Bishop defends ‘essential’ POs

:: Extra time appeal over PO closures

:: Rallying call in the post over closures

:: Post offices could take to the roads