Local Post Offices

Local Post Offices are a vital link for communities to access services this is particularly true in Delyn which has a large rural community. Around 65% of rural communities have a Post Office, whereas only 10% have a bank branch. The large majority of rural branches are loss-making and it costs £3 million a week to sustain the rural network however, this does not take into account the additional cost of making sure that services are accessible to the vulnerable, elderly or those with young children who will have to get on a bus or into a car in order to access these services in the future. 85% of the rural population live within 2 kilometres of a Post Office - in urban areas this is 99%. Yet rural post offices are likely to be hardest hit.

The closure programe will not just affect rural communities, with the current price of petrol is it right that in order to access these services car use in rural communities will have to increase, at cost to those who tend to earn lower incomes? This is a clear example of the lack of joined up thinking across Government Departments and shows that delivery of local services and joined up thinking on the environment are not priorities for this Government.