Post Office announces 65 closures

Some rural post offices provide the only access to cash in their area

The Post Office has announced the closure of 65 branches across Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire with the first branches going next month.

The company announced on Tuesday that of those, 18 branches will be replaced by outreach postal services.

The decision follows a six-week public consultation, which ended on 17 March.

A proposal to close the Podsmead post office, in Gloucester, which was on the original list of threatened branches, is under a further review.

The Post Office has said that 291 branches would continue to serve the two counties ensuring it meets a government requirement that 99% of the population remain within one mile of a branch.

The company said it received 3,700 responses and attended 35 meetings with customers during the public consultation.

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During that time, a number of local campaigns to save branches were started.

Mark Partington, Post Office's network development manager for Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, 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 Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire the best prospect for a sustainable network in the future."

Jean El-Shaharkawy, who runs the closing post office at West End in Witney, said she understood the decision.

"It's a sad time for customers and for the local community," she said.

"Of course it's sad for the business but I do understand the reasons for it."

For branches at Miserden and Rendcomb, a further six-week consultation will be held on the details of their outreach service.

In May 2007, the government announced that 2,500 post offices would to close nationally, with 500 outreach replacement services being created.

The outreach service involves a mobile post office visiting an area at set times, or a service within community centres, local shops or a home phone service.