Award for post office initiative

The post office was the first in Britain to reopen after closure

An Essex council which led a successful campaign to save post offices in the county has won a national award.

The county council set aside £1.5m to open up to 15 branches which shut under a national closure programme.

Last month, a post office in Buckhurst Hill, Epping, became the first in Britain to reopen after being previously earmarked for closure.

The council won the top prize for its initiative by CIPR, the body behind the UK's public relations industry.

Based in a convenience store, the post office in Buckhurst Hill was the first to be reopened with the help of a council.

'Vital role'

The council is not allowed to subsidise the business but is providing grants that can be used to make modifications to the shop. Now 150 councils have contacted Essex about adopting similar rescue plans in their areas.

Lord Hanningfield, leader of Essex County Council, officially opened the branch and purchased stamps from Praful Chavda who runs the store where the post office is based.

He then used these to send a postcard to Gordon Brown informing him that the post office was open for business.

Lord Hanningfield said: "Post offices are at the heart of our communities and they play a vital role to many of our most vulnerable.

"This is exactly what effective local government should be doing - identifying local needs and priorities and delivering on them for local people."

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