Consultation Starts On Changes To Post Office Network – Post Office Ltd announces plans for the Northern and Western Isles

Post Office Ltd today opened a six-week local public consultation on its Area Plan for the Northern and Western Isles.

In line with the criteria and factors set by the UK Government in its response document, DTI, The Post Office Network, Government Response to Public Consultation in May 2007 (www.dti.gov.uk/consultations/page36024.html) – the Area Plan for the islands proposes future provision of Post Office® services through a total network of 113 branches across the area, resulting in the closure of 19 existing branches.

Post Office Ltd proposes to close 13 branches in the Western isles, mainly on the island of Lewis and 6 branches in Orkney and Shetland.

Under the proposals, 97 pct of the area’s population will either see no change to their nearest branch, or will remain within one mile (by road distance) of an alternative branch.

The detailed Area Plan proposal for the Northern and Western Isles is now available.

The UK Government has already undertaken a 12 week national consultation before reaching a decision to reduce the UK wide network of Post Office® branches by up to 2500 from its current level of over 14000 while continuing to provide funding to support a more sustainable network in the future. The proposals now published support the national accessibility criteria introduced by the UK Government.

Under the area plan proposals, 83 pct of the area’s population will see no change in their nearest branch. A further 14 pct will live between half a mile and a mile by road distance from the nearest alternative branch.

The Area’s plan proposed 19 closures together across the islands communities represent fewer than 700 customer visits in a week.

In Orkney, the four proposed closures represent 178 weekly customer visits and in Shetland the two proposed closures represent 52 weekly customer visits. In the Western Isles, 13 proposed closures correspond to 422 weekly customer visits.

Post Office Ltd has also reached these proposals after engaging with, and taking input from the independent consumer watchdog on postal services, Postwatch, and from all local authorities within the Area Plan, and has considered factors relating to geography, the availability of the local transport and alternative access to key Post Office® services, local demographics and the impact on local economies. Views on all these factors are welcomed during the consultation process.