Fight PO closures plea

DONCASTER Council is to be asked to come out against controversial plans to close eight borough post offices.

The planned closures were revealed by The Star on Tuesday and affect sites in rural parts of the borough and near the centre of town.

They have sparked anger from politicians of all parties, and now a motion is looking likely to be put to the council when it meets on October 22.

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Community Group councillor Martin Williams, whose Thorne and Hatfield ward stands to lose two post offices under the proposals, says he will submit a motion for consideration. His ward would lose by Thorne Northfield and Hatfield Woodhouse offices.

He said: "I am writing a motion for full council against the closures and I will take it in to be included in the next meeting. I would also like to see all the MPs coming out against this. The post office in Thorne at King Edward Road is well used. It is right opposite the Palm Grove Static Homes Park. There are elderly residents who live there, so there is a ready pool of users."

He has also been told a petition can be left inside the site at King Edward Road.

Some post offices have already started petitions, with Hatfield Woodhouse among the first to do so the day after it was named on the closure list.

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Staff at Doncaster North MP Ed Miliband's office have already contacted some sites offering any help they can give in support of campaigns, and the MP is meeting Thorne councillor Richard Walker and Stainforth councillor Ken Keegan next Friday.

Post Office bosses have launched a six week consultation on their Doncaster closure programme, which would affect the Adwick-Le-Street, Balby, Bennetthorpe, Fishlake, Hatfield Woodhouse, Hyde Park and New Hexthorpe and Thorne Northfield branches.

The branch in Wroot will become a much-reduced "out-reach" service under the proposals.

Ministers say they are committed to continuing to provide an annual 150 million subsidy to keep the network going.They say only 4,000 money-making branches would remain open across the country