POST office campaigners have been left unsure whether to start celebrating after a number of sub- postmasters in Farnham received letters from Post Office Ltd telling them that they were not being considered for closure. Ten post offices across South West Surrey received a letter in the last fortnight stating that, subject to local consultation, they would not be forced to close. Many believed the letter to be an assurance from Post Office Ltd that their post office was now off the government's 'hit list', but Post office Ltd has strongly denied the claim saying that what has been sent out are simply proposals and nothing is certain until after the public consultation. Sharon Paice, the post mistress at Rushmoor sub- post office, said: "I can't say too much, because we've all signed a secrecy thing, but we're just being left hanging on the line again. We were told that they would let us know early in the new year if we were safe or not, but this letter doesn't tell us anything. "I think the Post Office will just threaten to close a shop and if the residents kick up enough fuss they'll leave it open and move on to the next one. I feel sorry for those people who want to retire or leave the post office. They can't do anything until after the decision has been taken which post offices they will close. "I'd like to do work on my shop, but I'm not going to until we find out for definite what is going to happen. I don't think people should read too much into the letter. Lots of people are saying it's a big thing they're not on the closure list, but to be honest, people shouldn't count their chickens. We've just got to wait and see." Daniel Burchell, postmaster at Weybourne sub-post office said: "I don't think we're going to close, but until we get a letter after the public consultation we won't know for sure. We certainly don't want to close." Station Hill Post Office, however, received a letter telling them that 'this post office was under consideration' and its closure will be consulted upon in the coming weeks. Postmaster Mohammed Yunas said: "We haven't had it confirmed yet and we must wait until the end of the six-week consultation which will start on January 29. Someone from Post Office Network will come out and visit us and then the consultation will begin. "If we close it will have a major impact on my business." Farnham MP Jeremy Hunt has welcomed the news that most of the area's post offices are to be kept open under the new proposals Post Office Ltd's Network Change Programme. Mr Hunt has written to Post Office Ltd calling for a definitive list of which post offices are to stay and which are to be closed and expressing his concern that the "subject to consultation" clause means that even saved post offices cannot rest easy. The MP said: "This is good news for our village post offices, although disappointing that yet another sub-post office in Farnham is to close. Once again local campaigning has made a difference, along hopefully with my meeting with Post Office Minister Pat McFadden. "What we need now is a clear statement from Post Office Ltd that our local post offices are off the hit list for good and have not just won a short reprieve. They also need to end the uncertainty still hanging over the heads of post offices that have not yet heard about their future." Post Office Ltd has confirmed that no post office has been told it is safe as all that exist at the moment are proposals rather than definite plans, which can change at any time right up until the public consultation on January 29. They have also stated that, as no post office has yet been given the all clear, a list of those that are safe and those that are not does not exist. Meanwhile, mystery still surrounds the continued closure of Heath End Post Office, after Post office Ltd conducted an audit of the business five weeks ago. A spokesman for Post office Ltd said: "The office was closed temporarily on November 30 following an audit and we are working hard to restore services as soon as possible. "We apologise to customers for the inconvenience however there are alternative offices close by in Weybourne Road (0.7 miles) and Boxalls Lane (1.6 miles). We are hoping to re-open the office as soon as possible."
