WEST Sussex County Council has been called on to raise concerns with the government about what Labour members have called the ‘apparant managed decline’ of the post office network.

Crawley and Worthing are among 74 post offices earmarked for closure, with the services due to be moved to their respective branches of WH Smith.

Now Labour councillors have warned that these latest moves, which are due to take place in 2019 as part of a franchise agreement, could prove to be ‘the tipping point for the viability of the entire post office network’.

Sue Mullins (Lab, Northgate & West Green) has tabled a notice of motion, to be heard at a meeting of the full council on December 14.

It asked leader Louise Goldsmith to oppose the plans, including proposals to move the Haywards Heath post office from its temporary home in the old Co-op building, in South Road, to the nearby WH Smith.

The motion stated: “These privatisations are financed using millions of pounds of public money, despite the fact that the public has never endorsed the closures, indeed they have only ever protested against them.”  

The motion also asked Mrs Goldsmith to join the ongoing national campaign to raise awareness of the value of the Post Office.