Easy guide to the post office closures (if you speak Welsh)

YOU would expect their communication skills to be first class, but Post Office bosses left customers baffled after trying to explain branch closures ... in Welsh.

Hundreds of city residents have taken the time to tell postal chiefs why their local branch should be saved from the axe.

But campaigners fighting to keep the Warrender Park Road post office open were left fuming when they received a response with an information leaflet written entirely in Welsh.

An accompanying letter encouraged people to read the brochure – entitled Rhaglen Newid Rhwydwaith Swyddfa'r Post – for background details and "frequently asked questions".

The A5 booklet – English title, Post Office Network Change Programme – explains why the Government wants to close post offices, and how to get involved in the consultation process.

Linda Smith, 66, of Warrender Park Terrace, said: "I wrote a letter regarding the proposed closure of Warrender Park Post Office, and received a response. The covering letter was in English, but there was a four-page leaflet in Welsh. I couldn't understand a word of it and the postmaster said quite a few people in the area had also received the leaflet.

"I was very annoyed, and I find it really insulting. Did they even look at my letter of objection? They obviously just flung in a standard letter and chucked in the leaflet."

Having found a copy of the leaflet in English at the Warrender Park post office, Ms Smith said the information was very useful.

Thirteen Edinburgh post offices are earmarked for closure in a rationalisation project that will see 2500 post offices shut across the UK. The public consultation runs until September 29, with the final decision due on October 21. However, the Government has set a quota so even if one branch is saved, another outlet in the same region will have to shut.

One of the most active campaigns has focused on the Warrender Park branch.

Sub postmaster Graham Smalley, who has run the branch for 11 years, said: "Several people have told me they received the leaflet in Welsh – about 15 or 20 people. Some are quite angry. It's pretty obvious that all these addresses are in Edinburgh, where there aren't many Welsh speakers. Some people feel they have been treated with contempt."

Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart Tory councillor Gordon Buchan, who was contacted by constituents, said:

"This raises questions about the consultation process. I don't think there are many Welsh speakers in Edinburgh.

"Is it just a glib consultation being handled nationally?"

A Post Office Ltd spokeswoman said: "A small number of customers were sent the Welsh version of the leaflet in error. An apology letter will be sent to customers with the correct leaflet."

KNOCK-ON EFFECT
THE postal watchdog has raised concerns about six Edinburgh post offices earmarked for closure.

Outlining its position as part of the consultation on the proposed closure of 13 branches, Postwatch Scotland warned of the knock-on impact on other outlets.

The six post offices it identified are Calder Crossway, Elm Row, Gorgie, Longstone, Nicolson Street and Warrender Park. In most cases, it said the nearest alternative post offices may not be able to cope with the surge in demand.

City council officials identified three post offices they felt should be prioritised for saving. However, the administration said it would fight against all closures.