Plans to subsidise Post Offices fall on deaf ears

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Six of Rochdale's Post Offices are set for closure after Post Office Limited rejected Rochdale Liberal Democrat party plans to subsidise the branches so that they could stay open.

Post Offices at Bowness Road, Buersil, Caldermoor, Hopwood and Smithy Bridge will close within the next two months. Post Office Limited said they would consider a locally funded branch at Oulder Hill but early indications suggest that the amount proposed by the Lib Dems is not enough to make the branch completely cost neutral to the Post Office.

In a report to the Rochdale Township Committee, Council Executive Director Andy Zuntz said: "The remaining branches due to be closed will not be considered as it is Post Office Limited's opinion that it would adversely impact on the viability of the remaining network which is the case for Bowness Road, Buersil, Caldermoor, Hopwood and Smithy Bridge."

Rochdale Township Chairman, Councillor William Hobhouse, said he was hugely disappointed at the decision: “We were told the figures needed to fund each post office at the start of the consultation process and the funding was found by our township to cover the necessary costs for the next three years. This is a classic case of Post Office Limited moving the goal posts at the last minute.”

“This decision proves what we have said all along which is that this consultation process was a sham from the start."

Leader of Rochdale Council Alan Taylor said: “We will continue to fight these claims by Post Office Limited. We have delivered a reasonable plan to cover the cost of the subsidy that the Government are refusing to pay and can see no reason why this plan can not save those post offices that want to remain open. I know the Post Watch is currently reviewing the decision for us after a complaint from Paul Rowen and we will wait to see what they decide.”

However, Rochdale's Labour Party has slammed the Liberal Democrats for 'deliberately misleading the public' with their proposals to subsidise the post offices. Earlier this year Rochdale MP Paul Rowen hailed the proposals as the 'Rochdale model' and called for it to be 'copied across the country' by other local authorities but Heywood and Middleton MP Jim Dobbin is angry that the 'half baked proposals' had ever been presented as a viable solution.

Mr Dobbin said: "“I really don’t see how Paul Rowen can call for the ‘Rochdale model’ to be copied across the country when it isn’t even going to be used in Rochdale.

“This was never anything more than a headline seeking stunt and the Township Committee report confirms what I have said all along that it is not sustainable. I have continually challenged the Rochdale Lib Dems to stop kidding the people and propose a realistic offer that would be acceptable. But they seem more concerned about creating headlines than putting forward responsible policies.”

Rochdale’s Labour group leader, Councillor Colin Lambert said: “The Government is subsidising the post office network by £1.7 billion to keep as many post offices open and, like everyone else, I don’t want to see closures. But I think it is deeply irresponsible to be misleading the public by offering bogus solutions that never had any chance of keeping post offices open.”