Issue - meetings

Post Office closures

Meeting: 15/01/2008 - Executive - for meetings from 03/06/00 to 26/04/11 (Item 137)

This report, which relates to a Notice of Motion approved at full Council on 29 November 2007, advises Members of the current position in relation to the proposed closure of post offices in the City and presents a suggested framework for the Council’s response to the closures.

Note: The agenda was re-published on 7 January 2008 to include an additional annex (Annex 6) to the above item.

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED: (i) That the report be endorsed and that the comments in paragraphs 39-43 be used as a basis for the response to the closures, as follows:

· The programme is driven by the desire to cut losses not by an examination of social need or business viability

· No regard has been given to the social role of Post Offices in communities or with small businesses

· There are concerns about a piecemeal approach rather than the application of strict criteria - which has lead to past closures and potentially future closures

· If any rural Post Offices are saved due to community role, will further urban Post Offices in York be set for closure

· The Government has failed to grasp the opportunities for greater commercial freedom, new products and services

(ii) That authority be delegated to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Council Leader, to finalise the Council’s response to the consultation.

REASON: To emphasise the Council’s view on the role that Post Offices play within the community at large.

Minutes:

Members considered a report, produced in relation to a motion approved at full Council on 29 November 2007, which set out the current position on the proposed closure of post offices in the City of York, updating a previous report on this subject presented on 27 February 2007.

The Government’s Area Plan proposal for North Yorkshire involved the closure of four post offices in the City – Clifton, Haxby Road, Micklegate and Fulford. The Post Office had now published a Network Change programme to implement the closure of up to 2,500 Post Offices across the country, mitigated by the introduction of about 500 service points or ‘Outreaches’. Public consultation was now under way on these proposals. The report set out:

· The Post Office’s criteria for the proposed closures

· An outline of the Council’s original response to the DTI’s questionnaire, submitted in March 2007

· The views of the consumer body Postwatch on the proposals

· Details of alternative branch access for customers of the branches earmarked for closure

· The possible social and economic effects of branch closures

· Information on the Council’s own accounts with the Post Office

· Comments on the approach of the Network Change programme (paragraphs 39-43.

An additional annex to the report (Annex 6) had been prepared and circulated at the request of the Group Leaders, following their meeting on 4 January. This detailed the actions taken by Officers in response to the Council motion and set out details of a petition presented at the same Council meeting, on behalf of residents of Clifton Ward objecting to the closure of post offices in their area.

It was suggested that the response be based upon the comments set out in paragraphs 39-43 of the report). Officers confirmed at the meeting that the final version would also take account of the comments on individual closures received during consultation and the Shadow Executive’s comments on the impact of future housing developments and the knock-on effect of previous closures.