Bristol And Somerset Post Office® Branches – Decisions Announced

Post Office Ltd today announced decisions on the future of Post Office® branches across Bristol and Somerset following a six week public consultation which ended on 9 April. Post Office® services will be provided through a network of branches, which supports the national accessibility criteria introduced by the Government and ensures that over 99% of Bristol and Somerset’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 plan confirmed today means that 62 branches will close in Bristol and Somerset with the first closures scheduled to take place in late June 2008. These branches were detailed in the Area Plan proposal published on 26 February 2008.

Post Office branches at Bear Flat, Lower Weston and West End originally proposed for closure will remain open, following a review of the issues raised during consultation. Details of any branches proposed for closure in place of those that are to remain open will be announced shortly. The new proposal would be subject to a period of public consultation.

The replacement of seven branches by outreach solutions was also confirmed today.

These decisions have been reached after public consultation and Postwatch, the consumer body representing Post Office® customers, has verified the correct consultation procedures were followed. Postwatch has confirmed that it will not ask for any decision to be further reviewed by Post Office Ltd.

Full details of the decisions and the issues raised during local public consultation are available by visiting www.postoffice.co.uk/networkchange or by writing to Post Office Ltd at Freepost Consultation Team (no stamp needed) or by emailing [email protected]

During the six week local public consultation, Post Office Ltd received around 3800 responses and attended 18 meetings with customers and their representatives to understand their concerns. All information provided by customers formed part of the final decision regarding each affected branch.

Tony Jones, Post Office Ltd’s Regional Development Manager for Bristol and Somerset, said: "These are difficult decisions which have not been taken lightly. We have considered very carefully all the comments made during the public consultation. We believe that the amended plan announced today offers our customers across Bristol and Somerset the best prospect for a sustainable network in the future, bearing in mind the Government’s minimum access criteria and the other factors it has asked us to consider."

Ends

Issued by Post Office Ltd
Birmingham Mail Centre
St Stephens Street
BIRMINGHAM
B6 4AA

Note to editors

Post Office branches in the following parliamentary constituencies are included in the Bristol and Somerset plan:
Weston-Super-Mare, Woodspring, Bridgwater, Somerton and Frome, Taunton, Wells,
Yeovil, Bath, Wansdyke, Bristol East, Bristol North West, Bristol South, Bristol West,
Kingswood, Northavon

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.

The following three branches will now remain open:

Bear Flat, JCR News, 6 Wellsway, Bath BA2 3AQ
Lower Weston, 41 Newbridge Road, Lower Weston Bath BA1 3HF
West End, 15 West End, Street BA16 0LQ

The following 62 Post Office® branches will now close as part of the Bristol and Somerset plan:

Alma Vale, 60-62 Alma Vale Road, Alma Vale Clifton BS8 2HS
Barrow Gurney, 4 Compton Mead, Barrow Gurney Bristol BS48 3SB
Barwick, 19 Mowleaze, Barwick Yeovil BA22 9TY
Bason Bridge, 109 Church Road, Basonbridge Highbridge TA9 4RL
Bathford, 54 Bathford Hill, Bathford Bath BA1 7SN Bath
Bayford, Wincanton BA9 9NJ
Bedminster Road, 80 Bedminster Road, Bedminster Bristol BS3 5NP
Bicknoller, Bicknoller Village Hall, Bicknoller Taunton TA4 4EQ
Bitton, 127 High Street, Bitton, Bristol BS30 6HQ
Bower Hinton, Martock TA12 6LA
Bradford On Tone, Taunton TA4 1HF
Broomhill Road, 101 Broomhill Road, St Annes Bristol BS4 4RY
Church Road, 41 Upper Church Road, Weston-Super-Mare BS23 2DX

Clandown, 1 Fosseway, Clandown Radstock BA3 3BL
Claremont, 1 Claremont Terrace, Bath BA1 6EH
Croscombe, The Bungalow Stores, Long Street, Croscombe Wells BA5 3QH
Dinder, The Village Hall, Dinder Wells BA5 3PF
East Coker, Burton Road, East Coker Yeovil BA22 9LB
East Harptree, High Street, East Harptree Bristol BS40 6AY
Easton Post Office, Easton, Wells BA5 1EA
Farmborough, Post Office Stores, The Batch, Farmborough Bath BA2 0EF

Goldcroft, 47 Goldcroft, Yeovil BA21 4DH
Haselbury Plucknett, North Street, Haselbury, Plucknett, Crewkerne TA18 7RB
Hill Street, 56 High Street, Kingswood Bristol BS15 4AJ
Holcombe, Common Lane, Holcombe Radstock BA3 5DP
Keinton Mandeville, Castle Street, Keinton Mandeville Somerton TA11 6DX
Kewstoke, Royal Oak Stores, Crookes Lane, Kewstoke, Weston- Super-Mare BS22 9XF
Kingsdon, Somerton TA11 7JU
Kingshill, Silver Street, Nailsea Bristol BS48 2AQ
Loxton, The Village, Loxton, Axbridge BS26 2XE
Marksbury Post Office Stores, Marksbury Bath BA2 9HS
Middleton Road, 116 Barrowmead Drive, Lawrence Weston Bristol BS11 0JN
Midland Road, 35 Midland Road Bristol BS2 0JT
Mudford, Main Street, Mudford Yeovil BA21 5TE
Newton St Loe, The Shop, Newton St Loe Bath BA2 9BT
North Worle, Premier Stores, 72 Ebdon Road, North Worle, Weston- Super-Mare BS22 6US
Northville, 15 Gloucester Road North, Northville Bristol BS7 0SG
Old Sodbury, Badminton Road, Old Sodbury Bristol BS37 6LX
Park Estate, 67 Queens Road, Keynsham Bristol BS31 2NW
Priory Road, 1 Priory Road, Wells BA5 1SR
Pylle, The Post Office, Pylle, Shepton Mallet BA4 6TA
Quantoxhead, West Quantoxhead, Taunton TA4 4DN
Redcliffe, 1 Waring House, Redcliffe Hill Bristol BS1 6TB
Ridgeway, 4 Mason Way, Shepton Mallett BA4 5SJ
Sefton Park, 10 Derby Road, Sefton Park Bristol BS7 9AQ
Severn Road, 54 Severn Road, Weston-Super-Mare BS23 1DT
Shuttern, Upper High Street Taunton TA1 3PZ
Sparkford, Hazelgrove Services, Sparkford Yeovil BA22 7JE
St George, 2 Clouds Hill Road, St George Bristol BS5 7LA
St Mary, Kingston, St Mary Taunton TA2 8HW
St Philips Marsh, 34 Feeder Road, St Philips Bristol BS2 0SE
Station Road, 96 Station Road, Yate Bristol BS37 4PH
The Chessels, 109-111 Chessel Street, Bedminster Bristol BS3 3DJ
Tytherington, Wotton-Under-Edge GL12 8QE
Uphill, 39 Old Church Road, Uphill, Weston-Super-Mare BS23 4UR
Walton, 10-14 South Street, Walton, Street BA16 9RY
Wellington Hill West, 201 Wellington Hill West, Westbury On Trym Bristol BS9 4QL
West Buckland, 2A Dyers Close, West Buckland Wellington TA21 9JU
West Monkton, Taunton TA2 8NP
Windmill Hill, 7 Chinnock Road, Windmill Hill Glastonbury BA6 8EW
Wookey Hole, High Street, Wookey Hole Wells BA5 1BP
Yeovilton, Royal Naval Air Station, Yeovilton Yeovil BA22 8HX

The following 7 Post Office Branches will be replaced by an outreach solution:

Post Office® Brompton Regis branch, Brompton Regis, Dulverton TA22 9NN
Brompton Regis Hosted Service would be available from The Village Hall, Brompton Regis, TA22 9NL on Mon 09:00 – 12:00, Thurs 13:15 – 15:15

Post Office® Charlton Horethorne branch, The Village Shop, Charlton Horethorne
Sherborne DT9 4NL
Charlton Horethorne Hosted Service from the current location on Tues 13:00 – 16:30, Weds 14:00 – 16:45 and Fri 14:00 – 16:45

Post Office® Churchinford branch, Honiton Road, Churchinford, Taunton
TA3 7QZ
Full details of Churchinford Outreach service are currently being finalised and will be communicated as soon as possible.

Post Office® Kilve branch, Kilve, Bridgwater TA5 1EA
Kilve Partner Service from the current location on Mon, Tues, Thurs and Fri 07:30 – 18:30, Weds and Sat 07:30 – 12:30

Post Office® Lydeard St Lawrence branch, Lydeard St Lawrence, Taunton TA4 3SB
Lydeard St Lawrence Hosted Service would be available from The Village Hall, Lydeard St Lawrence, Taunton TA4 3SB on Mon 10:00 – 13:00 and Thurs 10:00 – 13:00

Post Office® North Cadbury branch, Woolston Road, North Cadbury, Yeovil BA22 7DW
A period of local public consultation will commence shortly on the proposed Outreach service to replace the North Cadbury branch.

Post Office® Wheddon Cross branch, Londis, The Garage, Wheddon Cross, Minehead
TA24 7DR
Full details of Wheddon Cross Outreach service are currently being finalised and will be communicated as soon as possible.

A full list of the branches which will serve Bristol and Somerset is available upon request.