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It's crunch time for Leeds post offices
CRUNCH talks are to be held between council chiefs and post office bosses as they bid to forge a rescue plan to save dozens of axed Leeds branches.
Senior councillors will meet post office bosses next month to thrash out a possible deal to run at least some of Leeds's 22 closed outlets.
The news has been welcomed by desperate Leeds campaigners, who have fought long and hard for a reprieve – and who only last week urged the council to step in.
Details of the proposed rescue plan are still under wraps, but the council today confirmed it had applied to Post Office Ltd to look at the accounts books of the closed outlets. If Leeds follows a pioneering scheme in Essex, it could mean council tax money being used to save and run several branches.
Essex County Council has recently agreed to fork out 1.5 million of council tax to save and run 15 of its area's 31 closed outlets.
Councillor Andrew Carter, deputy leader and Leeds City Council's finance lead, said: "The council has always been prepared to work closely with (Post Office Ltd] in order to prevent, or at least minimise, the closure of Post Office branches.
"The Post Office needs to be prepared to work closely with us and realise it is a crucial part of the local community. We hope to hold further discussions in October."
Valerie Jupp, 64, who regularly takes her 88-year mum Irene Hydes to the one remaining Beeston branch, said: "I think people would pay a bit extra (council tax] just for the sake of having their post offices.
"I think it would be welcomed, because people are getting fed up. It's just not fair on old people."
Mrs Jupp was angered on a trip to her one remaining Beeston post office branch – the three others were closed as part of the national cull – only to find it was closed for refurbishment. The mum and daughter were forced to go to Middleton.
Leeds councillors have reiterated that they attempted EIGHT MONTHS ago to try and get information about the city's hit-listed post office branches but claimed to have been "frustrated" by red tape. Councillor Carter said post office bosses had effectively threatened further closures if any already earmarked branches were saved by them.
However, a spokesperson for Post Office Ltd stressed that if an axed branch were to be locally funded under the currently under-discussion rescue plans, it would NOT put another branch at risk of closure.
"We advised the council that we would be happy to discuss their interest in funding post office services in their area and look forward to hearing from them," he said.
Campaigners welcomed the prospect of a rescue plan.
James Dean, spokesperson for Leeds' Communities Against Post Office Closures said: "We would really call on the council to redouble their efforts. We are very pleased they are taking these steps.”
The campaigners are due to address councillors at their next full meeting on November 19.
l Are you fighting to save your local post office? Phone Aisha Iqbal on 0113 238 8122.
aisha.iqbal@ypn.co.uk
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Weather for Leeds
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
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Wind direction: East
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