Planning Loophole Could Delay Post Office Closure

10.03.04am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 16th Aug 2004

A planning loophole could delay the closure of Tesco Post Offices suggests West Wiltshire Lib Dem councillor Terry Chivers.

Cllr Duncan Hames and Graham Hedley demonstrate the need for local people to have more than just a pillar box from the Post Office.

Cllr Terry Chivers is asking West Wiltshire District Council to investigate if Tesco require planning permission to turn the Post Office area of One Stop Stores from the present Post Office area to retail. At present the Post Office area is being used for financial services and Tesco are seeking to use the area for retail.

Terry said," This loophole clearly wouldn't stop Tesco closing Post Offices but it may delay them. It would mean that Tesco would have to submit planning applications wherever it wanted to remove post offices form its stores. It is clear that Tesco are hell bent on closure but we can give them a rough ride."

"Delay to the closure of any post office would be good news for its customers." says Lib Dem spokesman Cllr Duncan Hames.

"In the Westbury Constituency delay past September of this year are particularly significant. This is because next month the Post Office will be announcing the town post offices they themselves want to close in our area. Instead of hiding behind Tesco, they will have to come clean about their own plans to close these post offices even if Tesco changed their minds" he added.