TOWNSPEOPLE have lost the battle to stop their Post Office being closed and relocated to a nearby supermarket.

Despite a major campaign locally to prevent the move, PO bosses have now decided to press ahead with their plans.

They said they had “carefully considered” the arguments put forward by the campaigners in Helmsley but the move to the local Costcutter store would still go ahead.

The decision, which follows several months of campaigning locally, has been met with disappointment in the town.

The chair of the Helmsley in Business Group, Lizzie Rohan, said: “Throughout the consultation process we tried to get our points heard by the Post Office, and we know there were hundreds of people who wrote in with their concerns.

“At the public meeting we held, attended by 192 people, 88 per cent were against the proposal.

“But we felt throughout that this was a decision which had already been made, and no amount of sensible arguments were going to be listened to.”

She added: “We remain unconvinced that the scheme will work, and that any of the very important points raised at the public meeting will be properly addressed, but it feels like we have hit a brick wall.

“It's very disappointing. It seems like once the Post Office decides what it wants to do, there is no possible way for the average town, business or resident to fight it.”

The Post Office’s regional network manager Suzanne Richardson said they had reviewed their original proposal but still believed the move to Costcutter, where they would operate as a local service, was the best way forward.

Much of the feedback locally centred on access issues and she promised they would do all they could to make the new branch – which has four steps at the front entrance - as accessible as possible.

That will include an additional handrail at the front entrance and a bell to allow customers to get help.

Improvements are also planned to the pavements, lighting and signage and a disabled parking bay will also be provided.

She said she was satisfied that customers would still have access to services that would meet all their needs.

The move, she said, would also help provide long term viability and future sustainability for Post Office service provision in Helmsley.