John williams who says the rescue plan would have hit council tax payers too hard

LAST-DITCH hopes to save five of a town's post offices from closure have been dashed.

The five outlets in Darlington will close in the next few weeks, despite an 11th-hour hope of help from the borough council.

Council leader John Williams asked Post Office Ltd to open the books of the threatened branches to see if the authority could step in to keep them in business.

But the council pulled out of the deal when the company demanded between £25,000 and £30,000 a year to keep each post office open.

Coun Williams said the move would have cost taxpayers around £120,000 a year.

He said: "We cannot impose this level of subsidy on Darlington council taxpayers. I will strongly recommend to my colleagues that we do not subsidise the Post Office."

The branches in line for closure under a nationwide review are at Cleveland Terrace, Hopetown, Pierremont Crescent, Heighington and Hurworth.

The leader of Darlington's Conservative opposition said the authority could have saved four threatened branches if money had not been 'wasted' on 'talking together' consultation events.

Coun Heather Scott said: "John Williams has decided that the council is not going to support the post offices but this should be looked at more closely.

"The council wastes money on pointless things, like the Talking Together events which nobody goes to. That money should be used to save important public services like these.

Coun Williams said the council had decided to use the money to fund free early morning bus travel for pensioners instead.

Also under fire was the town's MP, Alan Milburn, who was criticised for failing to do enough to save the post offices.

Mr Milburn voiced concerns about the closure plans, but voted for the proposal in the House of Commons.

Alan Coultas, the shadow economy spokesman at the borough council, said: "Time and time again we see Alan Milburn failing to stand up for local people. We are questioning his role in the post office issue.

"We want to ask the question - what is he doing about this? His head is always below the parapet, always voting with the Government, right or wrong.

Mr Milburn said he had met Post Office representatives in Parliament and at his constituency office, had replied to letters from residents and had written to Post Watch to express his concerns about the plan.

Simpasture sub post office, in Newton Aycliffe, is expected to be one of the last branches to close.

Maurice Clark, who runs the branch and a shop with his wife Cheryl, said: "It is best for local people, us and to support the shop to keep going for as long as possible, so we'll close the post office side of things in September."

Residents and councillors in the town collected a 4,000-name petition and more than 100 people protested outside the shop in a failed bit to save it from closure.

11:36am Thursday 3rd July 2008

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