Maidenhead & Windsor

Today's announcement that six post offices face closure in the Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough will spell difficulties and problems for thousands of residents – and the council is determined to continue its fight for the survival of these 'local lifelines'.

Post offices marked for closure are:

Maidenhead – Boyne Hill, Bridge Road, Cookham Road, Knowl Hill and Norfolk Park
Windsor – Springfield Road.

Cllr David Burbage, Windsor and Maidenhead council leader, said the scale of the proposed closures was completely unacceptable, particularly in areas where people would be faced with long journeys to get to the next nearest branch.

He said: "Post offices are a local lifeline and social hub for a large number of residents, especially vulnerable older people and parents with young families, many of them without their own transport or easy access to alternative locations. This list of closures is hard to comprehend, given the social cohesion and community benefits that post offices supply – the council will be fighting these closures along with affected residents and our local MPs."

Cllr Burbage said that if local Windsor and Maidenhead post offices were considered to be unviable, the government must find ways of allowing them to increase their services to attract more customers.

He added: "Currently local post offices are not allowed to offer a full range of counter services – for example car tax and passport services. Increasing their services is certainly one way of attracting and retaining much-needed customers. Unfortunately, the government is taking an axe to the problem rather than exploring positive ways of building on existing business and goodwill."

Cllr Burbage also maintained that councils and local communities should have been widely consulted prior to the announcement about the planned cuts. The six-week consultation period at the end of the whole process simply did not allow enough time for the views of residents to be properly appreciated and acted upon.

A motion passed unanimously by full council last August condemned the threatened loss of local post offices and the difficulties this would cause to many residents. It also expressed 'dismay' that councils and local communities would be the final consultees before closures were announced – and called on the Post Office and the government to reconsider proposals that would disadvantage many people.

The council is urging residents to make sure they take part in the consultation, which ends on March 10. To get a copy of a consultation document visit www.postoffice.co.uk/networkchange or write to Post Office Ltd at Freepost Consultation (no stamp required) or email consultation@postoffice.co.uk

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead