A RURAL market town has been hit by another “bolt from the blue” with the threat of its mail depot closure.

Royal Mail has revealed plans to close Hawes sorting office – leading to fears it could be the beginning of the end for a daily postal service in the area.

Although the village post office will remain open, many residents will have to travel to Leyburn to collect parcels – a 34-mile round trip for some.

The news comes after Richmondshire District Council announced to cut three full-time jobs based in Hawes – two on the refuse service freighter (dustcart), and a street caretaker – relocating them to Richmond.

Popular tourist attraction Gayle Mill has also announced a year-long closure, despite undergoing a £1.2m restoration in 2004.

Upper Dales councillor John Blackie is challenging Royal Mail’s proposal as he believes it will “compromise the excellent customer services” from a facility which has provided full-time jobs for over 70 years.

He said: “We can ill-afford to lose this reasonably well-paid and steady year-round full-time employment from the town – six full-time jobs based in a local economy like Hawes make a considerable financial contribution to its viability with those employed spending their wages locally rather than well beyond the town.”

Cllr Blackie is challenging the suggestion by Royal Mail that there will be any cost savings or efficiency improvements, stating the facilities at Hawes are “infinitely superior” to the premises in Leyburn.

The two vans based in Hawes will be relocated to Leyburn, but will still have to carry out the two post rounds.

Additionally, Royal Mail has around five years to continue its universal delivery guarantee, where it operates a six-day week delivery service to any address in England.

The Upper Dales Community Partnership (UDCP) operates the post office in Hawes, the sorting office – as a host organisation – and two outreach sub post offices at Bainbridge Extra Care Housing Complex and Sykes Village Shop and Tea Room at Askrigg, which function twice a week.

Cllr Blackie said: “The Upper Dales – remote, super-sparsely populated with a host of scattered communities and an abundance of farm tracks – would be first to lose its guarantee of a daily postal service when Royal Mail does not have to maintain it. In short this appears to be the thin end of the Royal Mail’s wedge.”

Hawes and High Abbotside Parish Council will discuss the proposal on Monday before a final decision will be made by the post office.