Crisis point for county’s service

Rural offices close and more up for sale

ARAFT of Post Office branches in Conwy could be wiped out, as many disillusioned owners are either closing their businesses or putting them up for sale.

The Weekly News has learnt this week Rowen and Henryd Post Offices are both shutting on August 10, Glan Conwy and Conwy Post Offices are up for sale, and the owners of Deganwy Post Office are also hoping to sell the Post Office side to their retail business. Last week the newspaper reported the Post Office counter at Llanrhos Stores will also close on September 28. Conwy Valley councillor Goronwy Edwards is meeting chief executive of Conwy County Council Iwan Davies and the leader Cllr Dilwyn Roberts to see what can be done.

The government-owned Post Office has received £2billion of taxpayers’ money since 2010 to fund its so-called ‘network transformation’. Part of the programme is to move branches into supermarkets or convenience stores, to cut costs. Lynn Phillips, Conwy postmaster, said there’s now very little profit to be made running a Post Office, and has decided after ten years to try and sell it.

She said: “Things now are so much more difficult. We are about to lose selling Premium Bonds, people can now buy their TV licences and car tax online, pensions are being paid straight into bank accounts.”

Chris Loughhead has run Glan Conwy Post Office for the last 23 years, but decided to put the business up for sale 15 months ago.

Chris said: “It’s just not worth running a Post Office any more, it’s a dead loss. I’m selling second hand goods in the shop to try and make a bit of money.”

David Jones and his sister Joyce Cross are closing Rowen Post Office and shop saying it’s no longer sustainable.

The business has been run by their family for the last 39 years.

David said: “It has been very emotional the last few days, it was hard putting our closure notice on the door as many of our customers are also our friends and we feel we are letting them down.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has supported us over the years.”

A spokesman for the Post Office said: “We want to continue to modernise the network.

“We are writing to remind owners of the investment and support which is available This is a programme of investment for future sustainability.”