Plaid Cymru Dwyfor Meirionnydd The Rt Hon. Liz Saville Roberts MP and Mabon ap Gwynfor MS

Mrs Saville Roberts was responding to news of further cuts to Post Office services in her constituency as the Cricieth branch becomes the latest set to close its doors in January. It was recently announced that Caernarfon Post Office is also under threat.

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The closure of Cricieth Post Office has implications beyond the town itself as the current Postmaster also operates a weekly mobile outreach and van service to a total of twenty-five communities across Gwynedd. 

There also remains no Post Office service in Nefyn which closed partly because staff no longer had faith in the computer systems following the fallout from the Horizon scandal.   

Mrs Saville Roberts, who raised these matters with former Minister Kevin Hollinrake prior to the general election, has called on the new Labour government to ensure the Post Office does not put profit before the needs of rural communities.   

Commenting, Liz Saville Roberts MP said:

This is yet another blow to our rural communities coming only a week or so since the Post Office announced their Caernarfon branch was under threat. Rural branches such as Cricieth serve a much wider area than the town itself and considering the widespread closure of other face-to-face banking services, the need to maintain a Post office presence is vitally important. Given that the Post Office has a commitment to ensure 95% of the total rural population is within 3 miles of a Post Office outlet, and 95% of the population of every postcode district is within 6 miles of an outlet, I want to know how they propose to maintain these commitments in light of the closure of the Cricieth branch. I also seek clarity on the future provision of mobile outreach services to communities currently served by the Cricieth Postmaster. This service is a lifeline to many communities within my constituency, enabling people to access Post Office services close to home. Twenty-five communities across Meirionnydd, Dwyfor, and Arfon currently benefit from this mobile service, yet there is no certainty that this will remain the case once the Cricieth branch closes. People who rely on these services, particularly the elderly and those without transport, need certainty that these services will still be there for them come the new year. What has become increasingly apparent is that the reputational damage inflicted upon the Post Office following the Horizon scandal is resulting in an accelerated deterioration in access to services for people living in an increasing number of communities. I have every sympathy with business owners who find themselves in a position where it is no longer in their own best personal or financial interests to continue to provide a Post Office service. Many have been shaken by the Horizon scandal, with distrust a significant factor in the reluctance of many to take over the running of services. This, in addition to UK government decisions over several years to cut back on the number of public services provided at Post Office counters. The Post Office is first and foremost a public service, yet there seems to be little in the way of public engagement or strategic planning where branches need to be guaranteed. Scant consideration is given to local factors such as access to public transport, digital poverty in rural areas or the specific needs of our Welsh-speaking communities. At a time when the Post Office’s main priority should be to restore trust and public confidence, they seem intent on making life harder for their loyal customers.

Councillor Sian Williams (Cricieth) said:

The closure of rural Post Office branches and community outreach services is bitterly disappointing. Not only does the Post Office provide general services, but they also fill the void left by so many of our high street banks. I hope a solution can be found which maintains Post Office services in Cricieth.