PETERSFIELD town councillors are up in arms at Post Office proposals to axe a popular and heavily used post office on the outskirts of the town. Councillors pointed out that under owner Post Office Ltd's own guidelines Petersfield was classed as an urban area which could support more than one post office. And they failed to understand why it should lose the Durford Road office, which meant only the town centre post office on The Square remained. They said they understood that the one post office only option was only relevant in villages. Councillors didn't think the town's post office on The Square could cope, following the proposed closure of the Clare Gardens branch at Durford Road. Councillors felt they would be unable to save the post office outright, but pledged to look into the option of keeping the Clare Gardens branch open as an outreach service. The town clerk reported to a meeting of the town council's finance and general purposes committee on October 25 the impact the proposed closure would have on Petersfield. The report concluded that the "closure of the post office could seriously undermine the viability of the convenience store business, resulting in its ultimate closure and the loss of an important service to the community". It also said "the ability of the town centre post office to absorb the business of the Clare Gardens office must be severely questioned with queues 10 deep experienced on a regular basis". Other key points raised were that more than 6,000 people live within one mile of the Clare Gardens branch and that it was easily accessible for East Hampshire District Council staff. Ken Hick said: "My personal point of view, and I don't like it, is that Durford Road post office is over and done with. The decision has been taken. What we should be pushing is to get this post office in The Square working." Post offices in West Meon, East Meon and Froxfield could be replaced by outreach services. At Clare Gardens, this could mean a post office branch being hosted in the shop with a limited service. Hilary Ayer added: "We could have a limited facility at Clare Gardens, rather than no facility." l Protestors gather – see Page 2