Today's Daily Telegraph takes as it front page headline concern with the closure of village post offices and replacement with mobile services.
The article under the caption "Stop. Jim" goes on to say that the Secretary of State, Alistair Darling will likely water down proposals.
However, to think a little more carefully this does not make sense. Whilst there may be a minority of post offices which are [popular but economically unprofitable there is probably a tranche which are. Others will liekly to have been rendered ineffective due to changing demographics and consumer needs.
The idea of mobile post offices has massive merit akin to putting the village bobby in a car. I am currently engaged in a project located in West Cumbria. There is at least one village with no pub, corner shop or post office. In this situation and others I have seen first hand whilst acting as an adviser to the Welsh Development Agency some five years ago a mobile service would make a major difference.
Sadly the Government has panicked and we get a partial cut in service without the innovation which people in remote rural communities would value.
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