Post Office closures announced for Tynedale

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Sat 20th Sep 2008

Councillor Tom Appleby

Following the review of Post Offices in Northumberland, rural Tynedale faces dramatic cuts to its Post Office services. Villages throughout the region are set to lose their Post Office or be limited to the occasional visit by a "mobile office", typifying the Labour government's continued neglect of rural communities.

The situation in the Bywell ward is typical of the region. The branches in Ovingham and Horsley are set to close, whilst Newton is to get a replacement mobile post office that will only visit two hours a week. Local Wylam Liberal Democrat councillor Tom Appleby has been critical of the short-sightedness of the policy.

Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate Andrew Duffield has added his voice to the criticisms, but attempts to save threathened post offices have been blocked by the Conservatives. Speaking recently Andrew said, "The Lib Dems have promised to subsidise the post office service as they proved a vital community service." A proposal to use some of Tynedale District Councils millions to replace the government subsidy and help save and secure all of the post offices in Tynedale were dismissed by the ruling Conservatives who said that the budget for the year had already been agreed upon."