By Julie Morgan

Last updated 10:07, Thursday, 20 March 2008

EIGHT post offices in Copeland could be axed as part of a controversial cost-cutting plan.

The closures are part of a plan to shut 2,500 branches nationally.

Opponents have already raised concerns about the impact of the closures on the local communities.

The post offices earmarked for closure are: Beckermet, Bigrigg, Gosforth (temporarily closed), Holborn Hill, Lowca, Moor Row, Parton and Tangier Street, in Whitehaven. A consultation into the plans began this week, and runs until May 27.

Post Office chiefs say that 98.5 per cent of Cumbria’s households remain within one mile of an existing branch, but Distington councillor Brian Dixon said the closure would cause further deprivation at Lowca and Parton.

He called for Copeland’s MP, Jamie Reed and the local councils to look into setting up a parliamentary appeals process.

“These village post offices, especially in my ward, are essential lifelines – they are the hub of community life and somehow the government has got to accept this and stop the closures going ahead.

“The sustainable community strategy is all about keeping villages vibrant. We already have deprivation caused by job losses and lack of opportunity. This is only going to make matters worse.’’

Coun Yvonne Clarkson, for Beckermet ward, said: “They are going to have a fight on their hands. We will do whatever it takes to lobby against these closures.

“I will be calling for a motion at Copeland’s next full council meeting calling for support to fight these closures.’’

Coun Chris Whiteside, prospective Conservative parliamentary candidate for Copeland, said: “We knew these cuts would be bad but they are even worse than we feared. This is extremely bad news for rural communities and we need to fight together against these diabolical proposals.’’

Mr Reed said: “I have tabled Parliamentary questions for the Secretary of State for Business and Enterprise and the Secretary of State for Local Government asking about the feasibility of local authorities running parts of our post office network and I would like to explore this possibility with Cumbria County Council.

“Unfortunately, changes to the way in which we all live our lives have had an adverse effect upon the Post Office network. The facts are that there is a lot of competition for mail services, more and more people buy their car tax, and TV licences on-line and outside of normal operating hours and many payments such as pensions and other state entitlements are now paid directly into people’s bank accounts.

“Since 1997 the Government has paid £2 billion in subsidies to the Post Office and has set aside a further £1.7 billion subsidy for between now and 2011. Nationally, the Post Office loses £3.5million every week and loses in the region of four million customers per week so change is sadly inevitable.

“In my view, post offices do provide a public service in areas such as ours: that is why I am asking the county council to consider running them.

“In addition I am writing to all local Sub-Post Masters affected to seek their views on the way forward and I hope that the public will take an active part in the consultation now underway.”

Just over 12 months ago, Age Concern Northwest Cumbria ran a campaign surveying older people about the closure of post offices. Nearly all the respondents said their local post offices went beyond the provision of post office services, calling them a “lifeline which keeps them in contact with the community”.

Coun Elaine Woodburn, leader of Copeland Council said of the plans: “This is disgusting news. We are angry that Post Office Ltd has chosen to make this move, and leave eight communities in the borough without this vital provision. This move seems premature, especially as we are trying to encourage people to make payments at post offices.

“We live in an area with poor public transport links, and I have real concerns about how people in these communities will be able to access their Post Office services.”

The detailed Area Plan proposal is available from Post Office Ltd at www.postoffice.co.uk/networkchange or by post to: Post Office Ltd, Freepost Consultation Team.

Yesterday Conservative MPs called for the closures to be suspended and initiated a vote. Mr Reed’s office was unable to tell the News of his voting intentions before we went to press.