Branches at risk

12:55pm Wednesday 28th November 2007

FIFTY branches across North and East Yorkshire have been identified on the Post Office closure list.

Under the proposals, which are now subject to a six-week public consultation, 31 branches would close outright and 23 would become "outreach service points" - part-time branches run out of local shops or pubs by sub-postmasters from neighbouring communities.

This would leave a network of 248 full-time post offices serving the area.

Mike Jones, a spokesman for consumer watchdog Postwatch, urged people to take part in the public consultation.

"Local people are best placed to give local feedback," he said. "People need to take the opportunity to highlight particular issues.

"Having said that, the overriding decision to close 2,500 branches nationally still stands - it's not going to be sufficient for customers to say they don't want their branch to close."

He said the Government had pledged to keep reducing the post office's public subsidy and run the network purely on a business basis.

He said: "We understand that for many customers, traditionally the post office has fulfilled a social role, but the Government is basing its decision on the balance sheet, saying we won't continue to subsidise the post office forever."

• THE sub-post offices in the Ryedale facing complete closure are Church Street, Norton, and Wass.

The following are also proposed for closure but with outreach solutions being proposed:

Allerston
Sherburn
Hawnby
Weaverthorpe
West Heslerton
Huttons Ambo
Nunnington
Slingsby
Terrington
Foxholes

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