Consultation Starts On Changes To Post Office Network – Post Office Ltd announces plans for South and West Wales

Post Office Ltd today (Tuesday, 03 June 2008) opened a six-week local public consultation on its Area Plan for the South and West Wales area. 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 May 2007 – www.berr.gov.uk/consultants), the Area Plan proposes future provision of Post Office services through a network of 291 Post Office® branches across the South and West Wales area, including establishing 19 new innovative Outreach service points, but to close 40 existing branches. (See full list below).

Under the proposals 99.4% of the area’s population will either see no change, or will remain within one mile (by road distance) of an alternative branch.

The detailed Area Plan proposal for South and West Wales area is now available from Post Office Ltd at: www.postoffice.co.uk/networkchange or by emailing: [email protected] or by writing to: Post Office Ltd, Freepost Consultation Team (no stamp required)

Post Office Ltd is now seeking views on the proposed future service provision in the area, in particular views on access to Post Office® services, the accessibility of alternative branches to those proposed for closure.

The local public consultation on the Area Plan Proposal for South and West Wales will commence on 03 June 2008.

The purpose of this local public consultation is to obtain your views on Post Office Limited’s proposals to ensure that the branches that are ultimately selected for closure, or closure and replaced with an Outreach Service, are appropriate. From the outset of the Network Change Programme, Post Office Limited has made it clear in its communications that the Programme is not designed to provide a forum for debate on whether branches should close, but is about ensuring that Post Office Limited has the best available knowledge to allow it to make the most informed decisions about which branches should close.

The closing date for feedback in respect of the local public consultation is therefore 14 July 2008.

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 2,500 from its current level of over 14,000, 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.

Steve Geraty, Post Office Ltd’s Network Development Manager for Wales, said: "Taking the decision to close any Post Office branch is always very difficult and we know will cause concern to many of our customers. We want to ensure that everyone who uses, relies on, or has any concern with Post Office services is both fully aware of the proposed changes and able to give views on them."

"Post Office Ltd’s aim is to continue to provide essential services and support retail businesses and the local economy in as many communities as possible, subject to the minimum access set by the UK Government," he continued.

South and West Wales is diverse in nature from the urban, predominantly industrial areas of Bridgend, Port Talbot, Swansea and Neath to the rural, agricultural heartlands of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. 53% of the population live in rural communities and 47% in urban areas. In order to meet the Government’s access criteria and avoid undue hardship, Post Office Ltd is proposing a future Network in the region comprising 87 branches in urban towns and cities and 204 branches in rural areas.

The defined as deprived have been carefully considered in this Area Plan Proposal, reflecting the specific national criteria set by the Government to give greater safeguards on the accessibility of branches in these communities. Some 31.4% of the area’s total population live in deprived communities, 18.8% of them in urban areas and 12.6% in rural areas. This proposal for future network provision in South and West Wales provides for 42 branches being located in urban deprived communities.

"We believe these proposals offer the best prospect for a sustainable way forward for Post Office services in the South and West Wales area, bearing in mind the minimum access criteria and the other factors to which we have to have regard", said Mr Geraty.

In addition to the introduction of 19 Outreach service points as part of this area plan, we are also proposing to make some changes to existing Hosted Service points in the Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire areas.

Under the Area Plan proposals, 87.9% of the area’s population will retain their existing Post Office branch. Where there is change, 5.5% of our customers would have access to Post Office services within one mile by road distance to the nearest alternative branch.

Post Office Ltd has reached these proposals after engaging with, and taking input from, the independent consumer watchdog for postal services, Postwatch, and from all local authorities within the area, and has considered factors relating to geography, the availability of 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.

END

Issued by Post Office Press Office

Notes to Editors

Post Office® branches in the following parliamentary constituencies are included in the South and West Wales plan: Aberavon, Bridgend, Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Gower, Llanelli, Neath, Ogmore, Preseli Pembrokeshire, Swansea East and Swansea West

The Government criteria:

Nationally:

• 99% of the UK population to be within 3 miles and 90% of the population to be within 1 mile of their nearest Post Office® branch.

• 99% of the total population in deprived urban areas across the UK to be within 1 mile of their nearest Post Office® branch.

• 95% of the total urban population across the UK to be within 1 mile of their nearest Post Office® branch.

• 95% of the total rural population across the UK to be within 3 miles of their nearest Post Office® branch.

In addition, for each individual postcode district:

• 95% of the population of the postcode district to be within 6 miles of their nearest Post Office® branch.

A full list of the 291 Post Office® branches which would remain open under these proposals is available upon request.

The public consultation period for the South and West Wales begins on 03 June 2008 and all representations should be received by 14 July 2008.

To express your views write to: Steve Geraty, Network Development Manager
C/o National Consultation Team, FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM

By email to: [email protected] or call Customer Helpline: 08457 22 33 44
List of proposed closures as part of the South and West Wales plan to follow