Post offices shut up shop

12:28pm Thursday 15th May 2008

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IT WILL be the end of an era when six Ryedale post offices close next week.

Terrington, West Heslerton, Hawnby, Allerston, Huttons Ambo, and Slingsby are among 12 local branches which have received closure notices from the Post Office.

The owners of Terrington Stores will shut the post office arm of their business on Wednesday and continue with their art gallery, village shop and café.

Post master Ian Hughes said when they were offered a statutory compensation package, Post Office Ltd offered to buy out the remainder of their lease to close their thriving business.

He said: "We gave this option serious consideration and decided that it just wasn't fair to expect us to walk away. We have worked long and hard for 16 years to build Terrington Stores into a reasonably successful business providing a terrific service for the local community and providing jobs for a number of local youngsters over the years."

In March the Government pushed through the closure of 2,500 post office branches nationwide, defeating by 20 votes a bid by the Conservatives to block the move.

Throughout Ryedale, 12 post offices will close including Hawnby and Sherburn who have had to pay to continue to provide postal services in their local community.

Post master of Sherburn, John Worthy, said they will re-open in June as an "outreach" service.

He said: "We have been in long negotiations with the Post Office to retain some services. We have still lost our salary but wanted to find a way of holding on for the sake of our customers. Our village shop will stay open but with the loss of the post office side of the business times are going to be tough."

In March the Great Habton and Norton's Church Street post office served their last customers - the first to close in the cutbacks.

Another post office for the axe is Slingsby, which has been run by Tony Hodgson for the past 10 years.

Post Office officials have vowed to replace most village branches with mobile "outreach" services with a van, which he believes is a waste of cash.

He said: "I cannot see how this van will save money when there is a post office here already up and running. I'm annoyed by the way we have been treated. We never stood a chance."

Adrian Wales, network development manager for the Post Office, said the decisions had been "difficult", saying it was a policy that had not been adopted lightly.