91Èȱ¬

Post Offices on Devons Road E3, The Quarterdeck E14 and Watney Street E1, Heylyn Square E3 and 75 Whitechapel Road are set to close as part of plans to close 169 branches across London.

Chief executive of Tower Hamlets Council, Martin Smith said: "In a borough that is growing significantly – with a population projected to rise by 12 per cent over the next four years – demand for post office services is likely to increase, not decrease.

"Reducing the borough's post office network by almost a further 20 per cent seems very short-sighted.

"The council is strongly opposed to these closures, and the process by which they have been identified, and consulted on."

The final decisions about the closures were made following a six-week period of consultation by Royal Mail.

What did the consultations decide?

The Post Office consultations concluded that there were two nearby alternatives to the Post Office branch in Heylyn Square, which had a "wider range of products and services." The same applied to the branch on Devons Road.

At The Quarterdeck, the decision was that, although the branch is used by many customers for banking services, there is another one on West Ferry Road that is less than three-quarters of a mile away.

During the consultation on the branch in Watney Street, customers said they would have to cross busy roads to get to alternative Post Offices and that it would be needed more as the area develops.

Customers also complained about the long queues at alternative branches to the one on Whitechapel Road, because the local area is so heavily-populated.

Nevertheless, the Post Office felt that all the petitions made in support of these branches did not justify keeping them open.

What do you think? Let me know at angela.saini@bbc.co.uk