Lack of customers will close Llandudno post office

Sep 4 2008 By Judith Phillips

A POST office scheduled for closure opens for longer hours than one nearby but serves fewer customers, according to figures from a Post Office report.

The Alexandra Road post office on West Shore is also further away from a bus stop than the neighbouring office in Great Orme’s Road, Llandudno.

But councillors fighting the closure say statistics shouldn’t govern which offices stay open and which close.

"They’re not quantifying the human factor in this. They say the head post office in Vaughan Street is only 0.8 miles away from Alexandra Road, but for many of the customers who would be forced to go there it’s a lot further away than that.

"If you live in Hospital Road or Fairways, you can add on another half a mile, and for people who haven’t got transport, are elderly or disabled, that’s an important factor," said Tudno ward councillor Philip Evans.

Members of the town council are annoyed that they have been trying unsuccessfully to get information from the Post Office on its reasons for wanting to close the branch, yet it had been supplied to local Assembly Members and MPs.

A copy of the so-called Branch Access Report was produced at a special meeting of the council on Tuesday called by mayor Billy Evans to discuss the issue.

Craig-y-Don Cllr Gareth Roberts who works for Aberconwy AM Gareth Jones said he felt it should be public knowledge.

"People are entitled to know why it is proposed to close one post office and keep another open," he said.

The report shows that weekly opening hours at Alexandra Road are 44 hours compared to 41 at Great Orme’s Road, with the average number of customers each week between 500 and 749, while it is 1,000 to 1,499 at the other branch.

"We’ve got to object to this from the hardship point of view. There are people who will find it difficult to get to another branch because they can’t walk the extra distance or use a bus," said Cllr Terry Davies.

And Cllr Janet Haworth said it was essential the town council made an official submission asking for it to be reprieved.

"Although individual letters are important, according to PostWatch, a formal submission does carry weight," she said.

Councillors decided to send a formal submission as well as writing individual letters of objection.