PROPOSALS to close 19 post offices in Worcestershire could damage the communities they currently serve, according to Worcestershire County Council chiefs.

Post Office Ltd is currently consulting on plans to close 2,500 branches around the country as part of a massive cost-cutting exercise.

The county council has been asked for its thoughts as part of the consultation and the cabinet will discuss the matter at its meeting on Friday.

Conservative councillor, Stephen Clee, the cabinet member for corporate services, plans to tell cabinet colleagues that post offices can mean more to residents than just their value on the cash sheet.

He said: “Of course we understand that the Post Office is a business and has a duty to look after itself accordingly. It must try and balance the books and we, as a county council, respect that need, especially when we encounter similar situations with the services we provide using council taxpayers’ cash.

“But we want to make the point through the consultation exercise that, to our residents, post offices can be worth so much more than just the transactions carried out there.

“They can be seen in many villages and urban areas as the hub of their community life. Should they be closed, it would remove the heart out of many of our communities.

“Closures might make sense from an accountancy point of view but they could end up leading to social exclusion for some of our residents.

“Of course, my cabinet colleagues and other county councillors might have different views and we will debate the issue properly on Friday.”

The consultation runs until October 7.