Decisions on the Future of Post Offices in East Yorkshire, Bassetlaw and North Lincolnshire Are Announced

Post Office Ltd announced decisions on the future of Post Office branches across East Yorkshire, Bassetlaw and North Lincolnshire, following a six-week public consultation which ended on 12 November.

Post Office services will be provided through a network of 336 branches, including 24 outreach service points, which supports the national accessibility criteria introduced by the Government and ensures that 99 pct of this area’s population will either see no change to their existing branch or will remain within one mile (by road distance) of an alternative branch.

The announcement today means that 42 branches will close in East Yorkshire, Bassetlaw and North Lincolnshire, with the first closures scheduled to take place in late January 2008. These branches were detailed in the Area Plan proposal published on 2 October 2007.

The replacement of 24 branches by outreach solutions was also confirmed in principle today subject to final agreement with Postwatch. Post Office Ltd is now working on finalising the details of the specific solution that replaces each branch, and this information will be published shortly. The outreach solutions could include a mobile service visiting small communities at set times, a hosted service operated within third party premises for restricted hours each week, or a partner service within the premises of a local partner.

Three branches originally proposed for closure – Bailgate in Lincoln, Brackenborough Road in Louth and New Hexthorpe in Doncaster – will now remain open following a review of the issues raised during consultation and of factors relating to geography, the availability of local transport and access to alternative branches, local demographics and the impact on local economies.