Section:GDN GB PaGe:11 Edition Date:050106 Edition:05 Zone: Sent at 6/1/2005 1:28 mono The Guardian Thursday January 6 2005 11 National news Post Office names branches to be closed The state enterprise finally and admitted that, notwith- banks able to handle basic lished yesterday heavily criti- The committee chairman, relented after weeks of wran- live within one mile of a Guardian wins acceded to a request from the standing last minute appeals, account services and sell cised the government for its Martin O’Neill, said: “At least gling during which he argued branch. He said: “The chall- Guardian for the list of offices almost all would shut their foreign currency and travel handling of the Post Office clo- part of the problem Post Office the list was commercially sen- enge facing the network as a re- publication of due for closure by the end of doors in the coming weeks. insurance. However, the prof- sure programme. Ltd has had when trying to sitive information and should sult of the government’s deci- March, rather than face being The closures have been sanc- its from these were not ex- The Treasury select commit- explain its case for rationali- be withheld from public view. sion to make benefit payments full list that forced to disclose its plans tioned by ministers concerned pected to match losses from tee said that the many duties sation has been its unwilling- In a letter, he argued that the directly into bank accounts has under new freedom of infor- at mounting losses at the Post ending the old passbook pen- performed by post offices, ness to be transparent and Post Office had been “entirely been well documented. Our will be lost mation rules. Almost 2,500 Office. A switch to paying pen- sion and benefits payments. which until now have gone un- inclusive in its consultation open about the rationale and post office branches and our offices have been singled out sions and benefits direct to Ministers have been urged to rewarded, should receive procedures and its prepared- impact of its programme to customers are best served by a Phillip Inman as part of a widespread cost- bank accounts is estimated to step in and pay post offices for funding. ness to amend its plans in the streamline the network of ur- sustainable network — not by a cutting plan. More than 2,000 cost the Post Office £400m a handling government services. But some of the committee’s face of reasoned argument.” ban branches”. network of unviable busi- The Post Office yesterday have already been closed, and year. This loss of business Opposition MPs have accused stiffest criticism was reserved Last night, the Post Office Mr Mills said local opinion nesses, closing in a piecemeal caved in to demands that it the remainder are due to go spurred the Department of the government of failing to for Post Office bosses and their chief executive, David Mills, had been taken into account, fashion with a near total loss of release details of its sub-post over the next two months. Trade and Industry to spend realise that post offices are a refusal to disclose where clo- sent a list of the remaining and 500 branches targeted for livelihood for sub-post masters office closure programme and The Post Office said for the £2bn on IT systems and other key service in any local sures will take place, except at post offices that face the axe to closure had been reprieved. He and post mistresses.” the whereabouts of local first time yesterday that 396 initiatives, with the aim of community. a local level, hampering efforts the editor of the Guardian, maintained that 95% of the offices scheduled to close. were threatened with closure turning post offices into mini- A parliamentary report pub- to campaign against closures. Alan Rusbridger. Mr Mills public in urban areas would Plea to save Crown Offices, page 16 How it affects your area POST OFFICE AREA AGREED DATE POST OFFICE AREA AGREED DATE POST OFFICE AREA AGREED DATE POST OFFICE AREA AGREED DATE POST OFFICE AREA AGREED DATE POST OFFICE AREA AGREED DATE OF CLOSURE OF CLOSURE OF CLOSURE OF CLOSURE OF CLOSURE OF CLOSURE Clarkston Airdrie — Victoria Crescent Burton-on-Trent — Vallis Way Frome, Somerset 11/01/05 Broadlea Leeds 19/01/05 Lovelace Rd Norwich — Rowbarton Taunton 25/01/05 Bowdon Altrincham 20/01/05 Walker Street Burton-on-Trent — Low Felling Gateshead 27/01/05 Pendas Way Leeds — Albert Road Oswestry 2/02/05 Holway Road Taunton 10/01/05 Wood Lane Altrincham 19/01/05 Victoria Park Buxton 26/01/05 Chowdean Gateshead 24/01/05 Whinmoor Leeds — Stamford Crescent Oldham 31/01/05 Ketley Bank Telford 7/02/05 Ryecroft Ashton u Lyne 19/01/05 Beechley Drive Cardiff — Eastwood Toll Giffnock, E. Renfs 6/01/05 St Helens Rd Leigh, Lancs 13/01/05 Henshaw Street Oldham 24/12/04 Ketley Telford 7/02/05 Stock RT Rd Ashton u Lyne 18/01/05 Glan Ely Cardiff 8/02/05 Broadview Gillingham 12/02/05 Plank Lane Leigh, Lancs 12/01/05 Braehead Rd Paisley, Renfs 10/01/05 Kingsland Telford 5/02/05 Junction Audenshaw 18/01/05 Lisvane Lisvane, Cardiff 24/01/05 Gillingham Station Gillingham 5/02/05 Wigan Rd Leigh /01/05 Llandough Penarth, S Glam 19/01/05 St George’s Telford — Aughton Aughton, Lancs 15/01/05 Rhydypenau Cardiff 22/01/05 Mill Road Gillingham 5/02/05 Linlithgow Bridge Linlithgow 24/01/05 Queensway Penicuik, Midlothian Dunston Park Thatcham 3/02/05 Greenacres Aylesford, Kent 10/01/05 Ely Cardiff 19/01/05 Spekes Road Gillingham 5/02/05 Willard Street Bootle, Liverpool 3/02/05 Hill Close Peterborough — Locarno Rd Tipton — Woodbottom Baildon, W Yorks 8/01/05 Fishguard Rd Llanishen, Cardiff 19/01/05 Busby Glasgow 6/01/05 Blundellsands Liverpool 12/01/05 Marsh Rd Pinner, Middlesex Victoria Park Tipton — Winklebury Basingstoke 17/01/05 Hollybush Cardiff 19/01/05 Greenfaulds Glasgow 29/01/05 Brighton Le Sands Liverpool 12/01/05 Salisbury Road Pinner — Babbacombe Torquay — South View Basingstoke 16/02/05 Rhiwbina Cardiff 19/01/05 Viewpark Glasgow 25/01/05 Myres Rd East Liverpool 12/01/05 Oreston Plymouth 15/02/05 Bradley Rd Trowbridge, Wilts Worting Basingstoke — Caerphilly Rd Cardiff 18/01/05 Courthill Glasgow — St Johns Rd Liverpool 12/01/05 Staddiscombe Plymouth 15/02/05 Eastleigh Road Trowbridge, Wilts — South Ham Basingstoke 3/02/05 Penylan Hill Penylan, Cardiff 18/01/05 Old Glossop Glossop 25/01/05 Abbey Street Bermondsey, London Lower Whitley Reading — Frome Rd Trowbridge, Wilts — Queens Rd Basingstoke 1/02/05 Cheam Cheam — Westgate Street Gloucester 18/01/05 Brixton Hill (214) Brixton, London — Abbeydale Redditch, Worcs 20/01/05 Grosvenor Wood Tunbridge Wells — Weston Hill Barry, South Glam — Wymans Brook Cheltenham 4/01/05 Stroud Rd Gloucester — Tulse Hill (37) Tulse Hill, London — Batchley Rd Redditch, Worcs 19/01/05 Sherwood Tunbridge Wells — Bathwick Hill Bath 3/01/05 Lacey Green Cheshire 31/01/05 Churchdown Gloucester 12/01/05 South Norwood Hill(285) London 5/01/05 Dukes Avenue Richmond-u-T — Tweedmouth Tweedmouth Bathwick Street Bath 17/01/05 Lowton Cheshire — Innsworth Gloucester 12/01/05 North Wembley London — Hurstead Rochdale — Prior Park Tweedmouth — Charles Street Bath 12/01/05 Lowton St Marys Cheshire — Painswick Rd Gloucester — Wembley Park London — Smallbridge Rochdale — Malpas Rd Wallasey 29/01/05 St Andrews Bath 17/01/05 StLukes Lowton Cheshire — Newhouse Rd Grangemouth — Hertford Rd (276) Lr Edmonton, London — Whitworth Rd Rochdale 17/01/05 The Village Wallasey 1/02/05 Combe Down Bath — Whyke Chichester 3/01/05 Chalk Gravesend, Kent 6/01/05 Mottingham Rd Edmonton, London — S tland Fold Rochdale 15/01/05 Walkley Walkley, Sheffield 11/01/05 Murraysgate Bathgate 9/02/05 Chesterton Cirencester 18/01/05 Northfleet Gravesend, Kent 6/01/05 Belsize Village Hampstead, London — Belfield Rochdale 13/01/05 Kings Hill Walsall — Castlegate Berwick Kirkshaws Coatbridge — Blackfriars Rd Great Yarmouth — Streatham Vale London — Firgrove Rochdale 13/01/05 Myatt Avenue Walsall — Spittal Berwick — Stoke Green Coventry 18/01/05 Regent Rd Great Yarmouth Bermondsey Street London 9/02/05 Queensway Rochdale 13/01/05 Paul's Coppice Walsall — Bedworth Heath Bedworth 10/01/05 Acorn Street Coventry 17/01/05 Lynedoch Street Greenock, Renfs 10/01/05 Brackenbury Road London W6 — Cutgate Rochdale 17/01/05 Ablewell Street Walsall 26/01/05 Smorrell Lane Bedworth 10/01/05 Far Gosford Street Coventry 20/01/05 Yarborough Rd Grimsby 11/01/05 Fulham Palace Road London SW6 — Rochdale Rd Rochdale 13/01/05 Harden Walsall 8/02/05 Albany Park Bexley, Kent 5/01/05 Burns Rd Coventry 18/01/05 Oxford Street Grimsby 10/01/05 St Helens Gardens W London 6/01/05 Ashfield Rd Rochdale 10/01/05 Goodwin Close Warminster, Wilts 11/01/05 Overchurch Birkenhead 2/02/05 Alton Street Crewe 25/01/05 Aldershot Rd Guildford 16/02/05 Westbourne Park W London 6/01/05 White Heath Rowley Regis 26/01/05 Albany Washington 17/02/05 Edgewood Rd Birmingham — Middlewich Street Crewe — Siddal Halifax — The Crescent Lytham St Annes — Elworth Sandbach 25/01/05 Boreham Warminster, Wilts 11/01/05 Shaw Hill Birmingham — Underwood Lane Crewe — Bradshaw Halifax 31/01/05 St Andrews Rd South Lytham St Annes — Dean Rd Scarborough 17/01/05 Wood Green Wednesbury 9/02/05 Tyburn Erdington, B’ham 6/01/05 The Broadway Croydon — Huddersfield SPSO Halifax 31/01/05 Bond Street Macclesfield 25/01/05 Manor Rd Scarborough 17/01/05 Park Lane Wednesbury — Ward End Birmingham — Addiscombe Croydon 12/01/05 Lee Mount Halifax 27/01/05 Bridgend Road Maesteg 9/02/05 Frodingham Rd Scunthorpe 11/01/05 Westbury Leigh Westbury, Wilts 11/01/05 Winson Green Birmingham Eastbourne Darlington 5/01/05 Summit Heywood, Lancs 12/01/05 Allen