Plaid Cymru MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Liz Saville Roberts has secured a meeting with Dept for Business and Trade Minister, Gareth Thomas to ascertain what action is being taken by the government to bring pressure to bear on the Post Office to maintain over-the-counter services in Caernarfon town centre.
Mrs Saville Roberts has been campaigning to retain face-to-face services in the town following the Post Office’s decision to close all Crown and Directly Managed Branches (DMBs) in favour of a fully franchised model.
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Mrs Saville Roberts will also raise the impact of the removal of outreach services from twenty-one communities across her rural constituency.
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The Plaid Cymru MP has previously accused the Post Office of going out of their way to make life harder for their loyal customers at a time when their focus should be on restoring trust and public confidence.
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A petition calling on the Post Office to safeguard over-the-counter services in Caernarfon was also presented by Mrs Saville Roberts to Post Office Chairman Nigel Railton during a high-level meeting in Westminster in February and has garnered over 1,500 signatures.
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Commenting, Liz Saville Roberts MP said:
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Significant uncertainty remains about the future of face-to-face, over-the-counter services in Caernarfon after the Post Office confirmed plans to axe all their Directly Managed and Crown branches. It should be appreciated that local people want to see Post Office services safeguarded in Caernarfon town centre. They place an immense value on the convenience of being able to pop into their local branch, whether for their personal or business needs. I now understand that the Post Office are looking to move to a fully franchised network, but we have no indication of what this will mean for services in Caernarfon, the staff currently employed at the town’s Crown branch, and the provision of Welsh language services. I am pleased the Minister has agreed to meet with me to discuss what pressure the government can bring to bear on the Post Office to provide much needed clarity. Have there been any discussions with potential franchisees? Has the Post Office considered the suitability of alternative locations? Loyal Post Office customers in Caernarfon deserve clarity. I will also be raising the decision to axe twenty-one of the twenty-five mobile Post Office services across my constituency. Twenty-one, mostly rural communities, which will now be deprived from accessing Post Office services close to home. Given the Post Office has a commitment to ensure 95% of the total population is within 3 miles of a Post Office outlet, and 95% of the population of every postcode is within 6 miles of an outlet, I want to know how they propose to maintain these commitments in light of these cuts. I will be seeing this meeting at the earliest opportunity.
Senedd Member for Arfon, Sian Gwenllian MS added:
We know changes announced by the Post Office will disproportionately affect rural communities and elderly residents who rely on face-to-face services, especially in areas with limited digital access and poor public transport. Furthermore, the Post Office must recognise the importance of maintaining services in Welsh-speaking communities like Caernarfon, where in-person interactions in Welsh are essential for trust and accessibility. I know that Liz is a strong voice for this area and that she will be steadfast in standing up for constituents affected. The UK Government must listen.
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