Managers to explain axe plans

Senior Post Office managers were in Shropshire today to explain plans to axe 28 branches across the county.

The meeting has been called at the Shirehall in Shrewsbury by the county council which has promised to do all it can to keep offices open. John Hurst-Knight, cabinet member for economy, said: “The Post Office officials are coming to tell us why they have chosen the particular branches for potential closure.

“We will be giving them our initial response. The principal thing I am hoping to get from this meeting is clarification about the plans.

“For example there are certain post offices on the list which are proposed to be served by an outreach service and we will be asking how that would work.

“This is the start of the consultation period now and we want to get as much information as we can to help protect post offices wherever possible.”Last night parish councillors at Hadnall, near Shrewsbury, held an emergency session to discuss what action can be taken to save the village’s threatened post office.

It is planned to hold a public meeting in the near future to formulate plans.

“We feel there is good business case for keeping the office open,” said Dewi Davis, who is both a parish and North Shropshire district councillor.

A public meeting is being held on Monday night to discuss the proposed closure of Randlay post office in Telford. It has been organised as part of a campaign being led by Tom Biggins, the town’s Tory parliamentary spokesman.

He said hundreds of petition signatures, calling for the office to be kept open, had already been collected.

The meeting at the Randlay Centre starts at 7pm. Officials from the Post Office are expected to be present.

Mr Biggins said: “Since our protest began on Tuesday, I have been made fully aware of the strong sense of outrage felt by locals towards this unnecessary closure.

“Has any thought been given by the Post Office where people, particularly the elderly, are supposed to travel to in the future?”