Fight to save North post offices starts today

Jul 1 2008 by Paul James, The Journal

THE full list of post offices to be closed in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and northern County Durham was unveiled today.

Local authorities in the affected areas now have until the second week in August to battle for any branches they feel should be saved. MPs last night described the cuts as unacceptable and called for the plans to be suspended.

The full list of affected branches was released at 10am today. The Journal yesterday learned of 19 that have been earmarked under the move to stop the network’s £500,000 daily losses.

Final decisions on which facilities will close will be taken on September 2, with the closures taking place a month later.

Post Office branches to close

Longframlington, Alnwick
North Broomhill, Morpeth
North Sunderland, Seahouses
Scremerston, Berwick-upon-Tweed
Blackhall Mill, Newcastle
Crookhill, Ryton
Winlaton Mill, Blaydon
Bates Cottages, Holywell, Whitley Bay
Nelson Village, Cramlington
Brancepeth, Durham
Gilesgate, Durham
Easington Colliery, Peterlee
Salters Lane, Shotton Colliery, Durham
Yoden Road  Peterlee , SR8 5DY
Allerdene, Gateshead
Sheriff Hill, Gateshead
Horsley, The Crown And Anchor, Newcastle
Otterburn Northumberland
Ovingham, Village Store, Prudhoe
Sinderhope, Burnfoot, Hexham
West Wylam,  Prudhoe
Whitfield, Bearsbridge, Hexham
Hetton Road, Houghton-le-Spring
The Drive, Washington
Station Road, East Boldon
Victoria Road West, Hebburn
Clayton Road, Newcastle
Howard Street, Newcastle
Kenton Road, Newcastle
Union Society, University of Newcastle
Kings Walk, Newcastle
Walkerville, Newcastle
Brunswick Village, Newcastle
Garden Village, Newcastle
Walbottle, Newcastle
West Denton, Newcastle
Grange Villa, Chester Le Street
South Pelaw, Chester-le-Street
Tantobie, Stanley
Castleside Consett
Esh, Village Stores, Esh, Durham
Helmington Row Service Station, Crook
Low Willington, Crook
Medomsley, Consett
Stanley, 13 Co-operative Terrace, Stanley
Sunnybrow, Crook
Harton Village, South Shields
Westoe Road, South Shields
Mere Knolls Road, Sunderland
Millfield, Sunderland
Seaburn Sunderland
Sunderland Road, Gateshead
Monkseaton, Whitley Bay
Wilton Drive, Whitley Bay
College Place, Ashington
Mitford Morpeth
Scotland Gate, Choppington
St Marys Field, High Church, Morpeth

Post Office proposed for replacement by an outreach service:

Ancroft, Berwick
Bamburgh
Doddington, Wooler
Longhorsley, Morpeth
Lowick, Berwick
Milfield, Wooler
Netherton
Norham, Berwick
North Charlton, Chathill
Scots Gap, Morpeth
Bardon Mill, Hexham
Belsay
Blanchland
Colwell Cottage, Hexham,
Fourstones Service Station, Hexham
Gilsland, Brampton
Humshaugh, Hexham
Moss House, Langley on Tyne, Hexham
Newton, Stocksfield, Prudhoe
Slaley
The Old Post Office, Church Road, Stannington
Whalton, Morpeth
Rookhope Bishop Auckland

An additional outreach service will be introduced at Rochester near Otterburn.

The list includes a swathe of branches in rural north Northumberland and several across Tyneside, including the profit-making and prize-winning Garden Village Post Office in Gosforth, Newcastle.

Customers were this morning gathering outside the branch, in Holywood Avenue, to distribute leaflets urging people to lobby the Royal Mail for its future.

Last night Post Office Minister Pat McFadden said the network had around four million fewer customers every week than a few years ago and that bosses could not wish away the increased use of the internet for services.

But customers warned that the removal of their local branches would be a devastating blow to their communities, especially for the elderly.

Across Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and Durham, 57 of the current 420 branches will close, and 24 will be replaced with an outreach service, which would usually take the form of a van visiting the office at specified times.

Those closing for good in north Northumberland include Longframlington, North Broomhill, North Sunderland and Scremerston. Nine other branches will be replaced in the area with a van, and the Scots Gap branch will be rehoused in the village’s methodist church for five hours a week. An extra branch is being created in the Otterburn area.

Elsewhere in Northumberland, the West Wylam branch at Prudhoe is to shut, and Blyth MP Ronnie Campbell said the branches at Holywell and at Nelson Village in Cramlington were also to close.

The Gosforth Garden Village branch was regional runner-up in the Best Post Office 2004 Awards. If it closes, the nearest branch would be either at Grange Park or on Gosforth High Street.

Garden Village resident Fiona Beare 36, will today take up position outside the post office to rally support for a campaign to save it.

Mrs Beare, who is married to retired police officer Roland, 54, said: “I am simply horrified that Post Office Ltd has earmarked this well-used and profitable post office for closure and appeal to them to please leave our post office open.

“There are many elderly and disabled residents living locally here in the Garden Village who rely on this particular Post Office. The loss of the post office and the shop will be a devastating blow to our community.”

Social worker Margaret Spedding, 47, of Wolsingham Road, Gosforth, said: “I don’t believe in this. It’s dreadful – what will replace it?”

The couple who run the branch, Gary and Lynn Maughan, declined to comment yesterday.

Those who run the branches which are affected by the closure plans have been given advance warning, but are understood to be bound by confidentiality contracts from saying anything.

Page 2 >> Minister's letter to The Journal