Post closures to hit 48 branches

Forty eight post offices in Cornwall are to close and another 11 are to be replaced by mobile services.

Post Office Ltd announced the closures following a seven-week consultation, in line with plans to streamline the organisation.

But Redruth's Close Hill branch has been saved.

Meanwhile, a mobile service based in Tavistock which visits 19 locations in Devon and Cornwall is to be replaced by a home outreach service to 11 areas.

Post Office Ltd says some of the branches will start closing in the next couple of weeks.

Full list of post office closures (107K) Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Of the 13 branches that could have been replaced by a mobile post office, the fate of two remains under review - Week St Mary and Whitstone, near Holsworthy.

Cornwall County Council is due to embark on a judicial review into the legality of the closure programme next week.

Falmouth and Camborne MP Julia Goldsworthy welcomed the saving of Close Hill post office in Redruth, but said it was a "bitter blow" for communities whose post offices were being closed.

"This will rip the heart out of the community"

Stephanie Vass, postmistress at Altarnun

She said: "Success for Redruth's Close Hill Post Office is a small ray of hope on what is a very dark day indeed for many communities in Cornwall."

Stephanie Vass, postmistress at Altarnun, which could be replaced by a mobile service, said the shop which provided post office services in the village hall was now at risk.

She said: "I can understand what the Post Office is doing. There's no point in keeping it open if it's not making any money.

"But the post office here is a community thing more than financial. This will rip the heart out of the community."

Mobile changes

She added that villagers would now be looking to the future.

"We are disappointed, but have to accept it and move forward," she said.

The home outreach network to replace the Tavsitock mobile service will still offer services to Canworthy Water, Clearbrook, Commonmoor Brake End, Commonmoor Brake Start, Egloskerry, Lamerton, Lawhitton, North Petherwin, Quethiock, St Ive, Warbstow and Yeolmbridge.

The eight locations facing a service cut include: Buckland Monachorum, Cargreen, Merrymeet, Milton Combe, Peter Tavy, St Mellion and Trevelmond.

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