TWO post offices in Rawtenstall wil close next month as part of the national programme of urban closures.

After a public consultation exercise in which customers, MPs and local organisations were asked their views on the proposed closures, Post Office Ltd has confirmed both the Burnley Road Post Office and Wood Top Post Office, in Bury Road, will close.

The Burnley Road office will close on July 16, followed by Wood Top on July 19.

Eddie Herbert, Post Office area manager, said: "We received a number of representations and the main concerns were about the effect of the closures on elderly customers and about the convenience of alternative branches.

"While I appreciate that it will be inconvenient for some customers to use an alternative post office, I have taken into account the local terrain, parking and public transport. One of our managers has also visited the area and walked the ground to assess all aspects of accessibility.

"However having carefully considered all the points raised I still believe that the permanent closure of these offices is the correct course of action.

"I am confident that other branches in the area, in particular Rawtenstall Post Office in the Valley Centre, Crawshawbooth Post Office in Burnley Road and Edenfield Post Office in Market Street, Ramsbottom, are suitably located and can cope with the extra business these closures will cause.

"Proposals to close post offices are not made without considerable research and discussion. Our aim is to safeguard access to a post office for all communities. The harsh reality is that many urban offices are struggling to survive because there are too many branches for the amount of business.

"In the case of Wood Top and Burnley Road Post Offices, a declining number of customers, increasing running costs and changes to the way benefits are paid have prompted the subpostmasters to want to leave our organiastion."

The closures are part of a national programme to restructure and modernise the national network of more than 9,000 urban offices because of a downturn in business.

Closures of Edgeside Holme Post Office, Burnley Road East, Waterfoot, and Shuttleworth Post Office, Ramsbottom, were announced earlier this year.