“Post Offices and their associated local shops are often a lifeline for the vulnerable and can play an integral part in making a village or town a community.
“The closure of 41 Post Offices in mainly rural areas of Hampshire will see the vitality and vibrancy of these communities reduced,” he said.
Thronber added the role of post offices in the community was being ignored.
“It has been difficult for anyone to assess of the adequacy of the alternative provision being suggested because of the reluctance of Post Office Ltd to release information regarding types of usage, turnover, costs and whether a post office is profitable or can run with just a small subsidy.
He said insufficient effort had been made to find alternative ways to make Post Offices more financially viable.
“We have pledged to develop a strategy to do everything we prudently can do to save Post Offices in Hampshire, including the investigation of opportunities to provide County Council services through Post Offices in order to help keep as many of them as viable as possible.
“The County Council has already put its money where its mouth is and set aside £100K to provide grants to communities to help keep local village shops open and thriving as the demise of rural Post Offices is likely to jeopardise village shops which often depend on the income brought in by this service.”
