No more hope for town post office

5:59pm Wednesday 9th July 2008

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By Neil Macfarlane »

A POLITICAL row over post office closures has erupted at a North-East council.

The closure of five branches in Darlington was announced in the last round of cuts.

Darlington Borough Council then pulled out of a last minute rescue bid when the Post Office demanded up to £150,000 in subsidies to keep the stores open.

At a meeting of the authority's cabinet committee this week, Labour bosses formally agreed to cancel the deal, despite calls from the Conservative opposition to look further into saving one of the axed branches.

Coun Alan Coultas, the Tory economy spokesman, said there was a chance that the post office at Cleveland Terrace could be kept open if the council agreed to take part in talks with the post master.

"There is an opportunity to see if a formula can be found to keep it open," said Coun Coultas.

"The post master is prepared to look at what he can put in financially to keep it going.

"If we really would like these post offices to stay open then my plea is we defer the decision on Cleveland Terrace to take a look at the possibilities.

"We are not talking about a lot of money here - it is small beer in the greater scheme of things.

"This facility is vital for the local community and it will cost us nothing to look into this at least."

To cries of "rubbish" from opposition members, the council's deputy leader Bill Dixon said the Labour group had tried to help the branches.

Coun Dixon said: "The facts speak for themselves - the reality is people are not using these post offices.

"The one you are talking about opens for four days, two half days and has long lunch hours.

"How's that for providing a service to the public?

"We have tried to do what we can, but the reality is this would be a financial black hole."

Cabinet members unanimously agreed not to offer financial support the post offices.