Walkers protest over post offices

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Public protests have been sparked by plans to close Welsh post offices.

The latest demonstrations come as the Welsh Assembly Government announced its intention to reinstate a post office development fund.

On Anglesey, Plaid Cymru campaigner Dylan Rees has begun a walk around the island visiting seven threatened sites.

Meanwhile, in Ceredigion, residents staged a three mile (4.8km) walk from Pontsian near Llandysul to the next nearest branch.

In the past year, nearly 200 Welsh branches have been earmarked for closure or replacement by mobile services.

The Pontsian branch is expected to shut in around three weeks, and about 30 people joined in the march, including the Ceredigion MP Mark Williams.

Local county councillor Peter Davies said: ""We want the Pontsian branch to stay open.

"In the short-term the closure should be deferred because Penrhiwllan post office currently doesn't have a postmaster.

"We have every justification to keep Pontsian open." If the post office closes then the shop will inevitably follow and the heart of the community will disappear Dylan Rees

In July it was announced that 52 branches across north Wales would shut, with another 14 replaced by "outreach services", including visiting mobile post offices.

On Thursday, more than 30 residents of the Anglesey village of Talwrn, near Llangefni, protested outside their branch, with a live band.

Village shop

It was also the starting point for a walk to other threatened branches on Anglesey by the Plaid Cymru prospective parliamentary candidate Dylan Rees.

"By going on this march I am hoping to raise island-wide support for the campaign to keep our post offices open," said Mr Rees.

"In many of the communities that I will be visiting the post office is also part of the only village shop.

"If the post office closes then the shop will inevitably follow and the heart of the community will disappear."

The closures across Wales are part of the Post Office's "network change" plan which will see 2,500 branches shut across the UK.

However, the organisation insists that when the programme is completed, 99% of the UK population will still live within three miles of a branch, and 90% still within a mile of their post office.

'Essential service'

The assembly government's post office development fund offers cash help to ensure branches in deprived or isolated communities can remain viable.

The original fund was closed in 2004, but will now be re-opened at the start of 2009, after a three month consultation period.

Deputy Regeneration Minister Leighton Andrews said: "We want to see post offices thrive so that they can continue to provide an essential service in the communities they serve.

"To help achieve this we need to help individual sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses have sustainable and viable businesses in the future.

"The proposals I have set out today will help us to realise this aim. I look forward to seeing the responses to the consultation and launching the new fund in January."