Tim Farron reacts to Post Office closure announcement

10.58.58am GMT Thu 20th Mar 2008

Local MP Tim Farron has reacted today to the announcement from Post Office Limited detailing the plans for branch closures in his constituency. The local campaign to save post offices in Westmorland and Lonsdale has clearly had a real effect as the area sees a lower-than-average number of branches earmarked for closure. The plans for the areas include five closures and four earmarked for so-called 'outreach' arrangements.

Tim Farron, who presented a petition against the plans for closure in the House of Commons last night, has congratulated communities who wrote letters and signed petitions protesting against the closure plans, saying:

"The large majority of our communities will keep their post offices and that is partly down to the wonderful campaigns that local people have helped to run in our area."

"I am appalled that the Government has forced this closure plan on us, and I still hope that we can save the post offices that have been earmarked for closure or downgrading. However, many of us had feared that we may only keep 30 or 35 of our 50 local post offices - we now discover that, following our campaign, we will keep 45 branches, although 4 of those will be downgraded.

"This is a day of mixed emotions - delight that over 80% of our post offices have been saved, and dismay that a minority are set for closure or downgrading."