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No more hope for town post office
A POLITICAL row over post office closures has erupted at a North-East council.
The closure of five branches in Darlington was announced in the last round of cuts.
Darlington Borough Council then pulled out of a last minute rescue bid when the Post Office demanded up to £150,000 in subsidies to keep the stores open.
At a meeting of the authority's cabinet committee this week, Labour bosses formally agreed to cancel the deal, despite calls from the Conservative opposition to look further into saving one of the axed branches.
Coun Alan Coultas, the Tory economy spokesman, said there was a chance that the post office at Cleveland Terrace could be kept open if the council agreed to take part in talks with the post master.
"There is an opportunity to see if a formula can be found to keep it open," said Coun Coultas.
"The post master is prepared to look at what he can put in financially to keep it going.
"If we really would like these post offices to stay open then my plea is we defer the decision on Cleveland Terrace to take a look at the possibilities.
"We are not talking about a lot of money here - it is small beer in the greater scheme of things.
"This facility is vital for the local community and it will cost us nothing to look into this at least."
To cries of "rubbish" from opposition members, the council's deputy leader Bill Dixon said the Labour group had tried to help the branches.
Coun Dixon said: "The facts speak for themselves - the reality is people are not using these post offices.
"The one you are talking about opens for four days, two half days and has long lunch hours.
"How's that for providing a service to the public?
"We have tried to do what we can, but the reality is this would be a financial black hole."
Cabinet members unanimously agreed not to offer financial support the post offices.
5:59pm Wednesday 9th July 2008
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CommentPosted by: harry, darlington on 8:11pm Wed 9 Jul 08
post office services are been stripped one by one, the only thing you can only use a post office for it to post a parcel, everything else can be done elsewhere. i went to the post office on cleveland terrace a while ago with some parcels for ebay posting the chap was not amused and the parcels seemed to take ages to get to there destination i wouldnt go again.
i think it would be money well spent to improve the staffing levels at the town centre post office to cut down waiting times.
post office services are been stripped one by one, the only thing you can only use a post office for it to post a parcel, everything else can be done elsewhere. i went to the post office on cleveland terrace a while ago with some parcels for ebay posting the chap was not amused and the parcels seemed to take ages to get to there destination i wouldnt go again.
i think it would be money well spent to improve the staffing levels at the town centre post office to cut down waiting times.
Posted by: Joe, Darlington on 12:34pm Thu 10 Jul 08
I second that harry - I went to Yarm Road post office recently for Car Tax only to find they don't do it! In fairness to the town centre branch the queues to me seem to have improved markedly.
I second that harry - I went to Yarm Road post office recently for Car Tax only to find they don't do it! In fairness to the town centre branch the queues to me seem to have improved markedly.
Posted by: mak, d'ton on 10:39pm Sun 13 Jul 08
Hi you two, only hurworth and town centre do car tax.
Who wants to always have to go and pay to park in town centre to post a flippin parcel or whatever else???
Soon enough we will miss the small outlets coz of the flipppin price of the congestion charge and everything else dbc is going to force on us all.
Facsist state we are becoming don't you think?
Hi you two, only hurworth and town centre do car tax.
Who wants to always have to go and pay to park in town centre to post a flippin parcel or whatever else???
Soon enough we will miss the small outlets coz of the flipppin price of the congestion charge and everything else dbc is going to force on us all.
Facsist state we are becoming don't you think?
Posted by: PJ, Darlington on 2:48pm Mon 14 Jul 08
Mak, get ur facts right, I believe it's the Post Offcie that are closing the brances, not the Council, and when u say fascist state I doubt very much you really understand what that really means!! an insult to the war dead I think and you need to get some perspective! oh and a life!
Mak, get ur facts right, I believe it's the Post Offcie that are closing the brances, not the Council, and when u say fascist state I doubt very much you really understand what that really means!! an insult to the war dead I think and you need to get some perspective! oh and a life!
Posted by: ray donavon, Darlington on 12:15pm Tue 15 Jul 08
[quote][bold]mak[/bold] wrote:
Hi you two, only hurworth and town centre do car tax. Who wants to always have to go and pay to park in town centre to post a flippin parcel or whatever else??? Soon enough we will miss the small outlets coz of the flipppin price of the congestion charge and everything else dbc is going to force on us all. Facsist state we are becoming don't you think?[/quote] Hmmmm. DBC may be idiots but I haven't seen them gas anyone recently.
mak wrote:
Hi you two, only hurworth and town centre do car tax. Who wants to always have to go and pay to park in town centre to post a flippin parcel or whatever else??? Soon enough we will miss the small outlets coz of the flipppin price of the congestion charge and everything else dbc is going to force on us all. Facsist state we are becoming don't you think?
Hmmmm. DBC may be idiots but I haven't seen them gas anyone recently.
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