Archived decisions

Contact: Paddy Hillary Ext 7391 email [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The Post Office published its proposals for changes to the service and closures for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight for public consultation on 16 October 2007 with a closing date for responses of 26 November 2007. The proposals include the closure of 41 post offices in Hampshire (excluding the Rushmoor area) which rises to 62 closures covering Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight. The programme also suggests 9 areas in Hampshire to be served by a new outreach service.

1.2 Members have been briefed via Hampshire Action Teams on the implications for their local areas and information on the proposals have been included on the County Council website to facilitate public participation in the consultation. Cllr Perry has made a notice of motion to County Council on 22 November. Cabinet is asked to agree the County Council's formal response to Post Office Ltd.

NB - As the closing date for consultation with the Post office Ltd is 26 November (the same date as the meeting) the full draft of the response will be available to Members at the meeting giving the maximum time to receive comments to inform the response.

1.3 This supports the County Council's Corporate Strategy by responding to issues of local importance which will impact both on residents feeling safer and more secure and their sense of wellbeing.

2. Recommendations

That Cabinet agreed the County Council's response to the consultation from Post Office Ltd on proposals to make changes to the provision of post office services in Hampshire

3. Post Office Ltd Network Change programme

3.1 On the 17 May 2007 the government published their final proposals on the re-structuring of the post office network, which included the creation of 500 outreach services and the closure of 2,500 branches, in line with national and local targets on access criteria. Post Office Ltd published a more detailed Network Change programme with planning commencing in August and public consultation in October 2007. Hampshire and the Isle of Wight was selected to be in one of the first phases. Parallel to this closure programme Post Office Ltd recently started a programme to move 70 Crown Post Offices into WH Smith stores 7 of these in the South and South West region. The WH Smith programme is a separate programme and will need to be responded to case, by case when plans are announced. On 16 October the full proposals were published for public consultation with a closing date of 26 November.

4. Summary of proposals

4.1 The document proposes the closure of 41 post offices in Hampshire (excluding the Rushmoor area) rising to 62 including Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. This will leave 300 post offices in Hampshire including Southampton, Portsmouth and the island. Full details in the document Network Change Programme- Area Plan Proposal Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are available to view on the County Council's Hantsweb website.

4.2 As part of the programme Central Government produced access criteria targets to be met once the programme has been implemented. These criteria have been used to identify post offices for closure or outreach:

Post Office Access criteria

Nationally

99% of the population within 3 miles

90% of the population within 1 mile

95% of the population of urban areas within 1 mile

99% of Urban deprived areas within 1 mile

95% of Rural areas within 3 miles

Locally

95% of the post code districts within 6 miles

The only local criteria of 6 miles would mean the creation of 34 branches nationally, however there are no post code areas in Hampshire that are further than 6 miles from the nearest post office.

4.3 There are also proposals for the introduction of an outreach service in 9 areas in Hampshire. There are 4 types of outreach:

Mobile Post Office®

A travelling Post Office® situated within a van operated by the subpostmaster that will visit small communities at set times and days each week, to deliver core Post Office® products and services to customers.



Hosted service

A fixed site Post Office® branch from which the subpostmaster or his assistants will transact core Post Office® products and services during restricted hours each week. The premises are owned by a third party, for example, a shop or community centre.

Partner service

A fixed site Post Office® branch where a local partner (such as a pub landlord), appointed by the subpostmaster, transacts a reduced range of Post Office® products and services from the partner's own premises.

Home Delivery service

A service for very small communities whereby the subpostmaster delivers a reduced range of Post Office® products and services which are ordered over the telephone by customers. The products may either be delivered to customer's home or at a local Drop-In Session. There will not be a physical Post Office® building in the community.

3.2 The 9 areas proposed for outreach are:

5. Actions so far

5.1 Members have been briefed through Hampshire Action Teams and details included on the County Council's website to facilitate access to the proposals and the consultation for both members and the public. A Freedom of Information request has been made to Post Offices Ltd asking for additional detail in the closures.

5.2 A letter has been sent to Post Office ltd on behalf of the local authorities in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight by the Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Local Government Association (HIOWLA) expressing concern over the programme and especially the implications in view of the planned housing growth.

8. Conclusion

8.1 The proposals have already raised concerns in local communities and will have a significant impact on the provision of post office services in Hampshire. It is important that the County Council makes a considered response to the consultation.

8.2 The attached draft response summarises the comments received from Members, officers and residents.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background documents

The following documents discuss facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB: the list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

None.