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Fight stepped up to stop closures
RESIDENTS can get help in their fight against the possible axing of three post offices in east Durham at public meetings later this month.
The meetings are being held across the county to help people fend off the proposed closures of their community post office, with one being held in Shotton.
The post offices proposed for closure in east Durham are in lower Seaside Lane, Easington Colliery, Yoden Road, Peterlee, and Salter's Lane, Shotton.
An all-party meeting of members of Durham County Council agreed that practical help was necessary to help communities fight any planned closures.
Coun Neil Foster, cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: "There was a lot of anger among council members at the meeting about this and also a real appetite to do something practical for the communities to help them through this difficult time.
"The issues for our communities facing possible closures are very real – isolation, social deprivation and financial, particularly as it will hit hardest those who can least afford it.
"We want to work with key partners to ensure that people get the information they need to register their opposition.
"We hope the public meetings will also look at what can be done next, if these closures do take place, and what we, as a county council, might be able to do to offer alternative provision, drawing on our experience of working with other areas of the county that have already suffered closures."
A six-week consultation started on Tuesday to decide the fate of more than 80 branches in North East England.
Last year the Government and Post Office Limited started a review, which could see the closure of 2,500 branches across the country. At the time they stated the business was losing 4million a week due to a loss of services and customers.
The public meetings will be held at Shotton Hall on Tuesday, July 22, St. Patrick's Hall, Consett, on Thursday, July 24, and at County Hall, Durham on Saturday, July 26.
The times of the meetings have not yet been announced.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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