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Post office closures bombshell

10:22pm Monday 21st January 2008

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By Catherine Pye »

A QUARTER of East Lancashire's post offices are set to be axed.

Bosses are tomorrow due to announce the proposed closures in a bid to reduce losses of £4million a week.

JOIN THE DEBATE

What do you think of the proposed closures? Add your comments below.

Last year the Government started a review which could see the closure of 2,500 branches across the country.

At that time the Government said the cuts were needed because the business was making millions of pounds in losses each week.

The Lancashire Telegraph understands 23 out of East Lancashire's 96 post offices are set to closure following a six-week consultations which starts tomorrow.

The following post offices are believed to be earmarked for closure:

  • Preston New Road Post Office, 47 Preston New Road, Blackburn
  • Belthorn Post Office, 8 Holden Street, Belthorn
  • Mellor Brook Post Office, Branch Road, Mellor Brook
  • Sunnyhurst Post Office, 99 Hindle Street, Darwen
  • Cheapside Post Office, 702 Padiham Road, Burnley
  • Hapton Post Office, 31 Church Street, Hapton
  • Parliament Street Post Office, 70 Parliament Street, Burnley
  • Picadilly Road Post Office, 32 Picadilly Road, Burnley
  • Walk Mill Post Office, 19-21 Park Road, Cliviger
  • Higham Post Office, 2 Cross Street, Higham, Burnley
  • Church Post Office, 9A Market Street, Accrington
  • Huncoat Post Office, 10-12 Station Road, Huncoat
  • St Huberts Post Office, 108 Queen Street, Great Harwood
  • Barker House Road Post Office, 75 Barker House Road, Nelson
  • Carr Hall Post Office, 22 Bedford Street, Barrowford
  • Foulridge Post Office, Glenwynn Causeway, Foulridge
  • Gisburn Road Post Office, 61 Gisburn Road, Barnoldswick
  • Hill Place Post Office, 12 Hill Place, Nelson
  • Newton-In-Bowland Post Office, Salisbury Bungalow, Newton-In-Bowland
  • Samlesbury Post Office, 4 St James Terrace, Samlesbury
  • Billington Post Office, 1 Bonny Grass Terrace, Billington
  • Lee Mill Post Office, 95 Newchurch Road, Bacup
  • Longshoot Post Office, 19 Birch Avenue, Haslingden

    The full schedule of closures includes 58 branches across the whole of Lancashire.

Bosses said that, while post offices played an important social and economic role in the communities they serve, four million fewer people were using them each week compared to two years ago.

According to the Post Office Ltd, after the closures, 90 per cent of the population will remain within one mile of the nearest branch and 99 per cent will be within three miles.

It also claims 99 per cent of the population within deprived urban areas will be within one mile of the nearest branch.

The Post Office is hoping to compensate for the loss of branches in rural areas by establishing 500 "outreach services", including a mobile centre which would visit rural communities and small branches within existing shops.

A Post Office spokesman said they would issue a full statement at 10am tomorrow.

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Your Say YourTelegraph

charlie needles, manchester says...
8:04pm Thu 17 Apr 08

register NOT to vote in the coming elections
http://www.cynicswif
e.blogspot.com

You don't have to join em to beat em!!
Report this post »

charlie needles, Manchester says...
8:01pm Thu 17 Apr 08

**** right we are angry. On bbc news tonight we heard that more and more people are commiting to joining us in abstaining from voting in the coming elections. Tell em no and tell em why.
register not to vote at http://www.cynicswif


e.blogspot.com
40 million strong and growing
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Burnley Taxpayer, Burnley says...
4:16pm Tue 4 Mar 08

Dave wrote:
The best way to stop these closures is to shop at thes post offices. Are enough people willing to do this,
Obviously not.
Report this post »

F.E.Sharpe, Plymouth says...
7:40pm Sun 2 Mar 08

If readers want to help try to get royal mail to reinstate sunday collections across the united kingdom, they can now view and sign a petition on the prime ministers web site at
http://petitions.pm.
gov.uk/communityhelp
/
Report this post »

Kevin Ward, Hapton says...
2:32pm Mon 28 Jan 08

Post Office closures come as no surprise at all, after all it was systematically planned. To get rid of something like a post office you first have to make it uneconomical and you do that by withdrawing services. The way of making post office transactions is changing and many people now print their postage on their own printers or get their money from a cash machine. The people who are caught out are the poor and the elderly but when did any Government last care about them. Those in work now will be the next generation of pensioners so they should know what is coming. Your Government is responsible for this .
Report this post »

Disgusted, says...
11:01pm Wed 23 Jan 08

I agree that it is a shame to see local post offices closing but has anyone been into the main Accrington post office lately? I went in today, I politely said hello to the guy behind the counter, to which he didn't even bother looking up or acknowledging I was there. When telling me how much I owed for my transaction there was no please or thanks-you, and my change was slammed down. I was so annoyed, I pride myself in always being polite to other but this man was very rude. That post office doesn't deserve customers, I'll be going to one of the smaller, friendlier post-offices in future.
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Jan, mellor says...
6:58pm Wed 23 Jan 08

I run a small business from home & use the local post office for all my business banking & sending mail to save having to trek into town 3 or 4 times a week. This saves me petrol & parking & reduces traffic. The bank I use has closed down in Blackburn (co-op) so I would have to go into Preston at 10 miles each way.
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AD, Rossendale says...
1:20pm Wed 23 Jan 08

The politicians who support these protests would do exactly the same if they had to balance the books, so face facts. Hundreds of post offices closed overthe last decade, more were taken over by commerciakl operations. As for subsidising them so that pensioners can have a chinwag, come off it. Last year hundreds of recoerd shops went bust because kids who used t5o hang in them browsing at album sleeves now buy their stuff online. Did the government rush in to subsidise them. Of course not. Most postmen deliver few urgent items, mainly bills. Most pensioners have telephones and pensions can be paid into a bank. And local newsagents will sell you a book of stamps. So what is the big deal. Maggie Thatcher shut down the network of gas and electricity shops and we still manage to pay our bills.
Report this post »

dulla, New Bank Road - Area says...
8:18am Wed 23 Jan 08

curious wrote:
Omar wrote: Dulla & Saj Well done for bring this issue to everyone’s attention, I thought I was the only one they treated appallingly, they are a disgrace to the Post Office and it’s a shame better post office are being closed instead of the bad ones. I work in Customer Services and if I treated any on my customers the way the New Bank Road Post Office treats their customers I would be sacked! It’s just a shame no one can sack them / the post office aren’t taking note of what the customer is saying. I've stopped using this post office too
by any chance is this post office run by white people??
No- the sad thing is that they are Asians!!!! but the way their attitude and manners change when they are serving the Non Asian Customers - is so different...
Report this post »

totty, lancashire says...
11:16pm Tue 22 Jan 08

After reading some of the comments, could I point out that Royal Mail and Post Office Counters are not related. When RM go on strike this is nothing to do with PO Counters, in effect they are 2 separate businesses and, therefore, the last strike by RM workers is NOT the reason for the closures.

Postmasters are 'agents' for PO Counters and are paid a salary according to the work they do. Every Postmaster is paid a different salary, if you have a busy PO you are paid more than one whose office is not so busy. The Postmaster owns the building from which he works. When the government took away the pension/allowance books and replaced them with payment cards or customers opted to have their money paid directly into the bank, then this took work away from the Post Offices, hence salaries went down. Other business was also taken away i.e. tv licences, tv stamps and other bills which you can pay at local stores. You can get your car tax online. Customers can use their cards at the ATM machines and so there is no need to go to the PO for their money. As a result is was not viable to keep all the Post Offices open and it became inevitable that some would close. Some of the smaller ones found it was not worth opening - no customers. Obviously the elderly and others will be inconvenienced but the notices were displayed long enough 'USE IT OR LOSE IT' - this is the result, it has been on the cards for years.
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dave, darwen says...
10:46pm Tue 22 Jan 08

The address to write to to object / express views is:

Richard Lynds, Network Development Manager, c/o National Consultation Team, FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM.

e-mail: consultation@postoff
ice.co.uk
tel: 08457 22 33 44

Please get writing or e-mailing ! Responses have to be received by 3rd March.
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steve, accrington says...
7:04pm Tue 22 Jan 08

I read in one of the sunday papers a while ago, that the closures were down to some rule or other from the E.E.C. Would be nice if someone from the L.E.T. could confirm this for us.Like everything else, complain, protest all you like, but it will be a cut and dried decision.
Report this post »

marie fowles, darwen says...
6:58pm Tue 22 Jan 08

i use sunnyhurst post office every weekday wiyh a lot of parcels if this goes i dont know what i will do because i cant park near the town post office s i cannot carry my parcels from the nearest car park at sunnyhurst i can park out side or very close this will effect a lot of people
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curious, Blackburn says...
6:54pm Tue 22 Jan 08

Omar wrote:
Dulla & Saj Well done for bring this issue to everyone’s attention, I thought I was the only one they treated appallingly, they are a disgrace to the Post Office and it’s a shame better post office are being closed instead of the bad ones. I work in Customer Services and if I treated any on my customers the way the New Bank Road Post Office treats their customers I would be sacked! It’s just a shame no one can sack them / the post office aren’t taking note of what the customer is saying. I've stopped using this post office too
by any chance is this post office run by white people??
Report this post »

thomas, Darwen says...
5:57pm Tue 22 Jan 08

For once I agree with Alexander Gordon. The Post Office in Harwood Street has been demolished and has re-opened as a smart mini-market in Hindle Street. I would have thought that this P.O is a thriving one. Every time that I have been in to use it there has always been someone either buying stamps, registering letters, parcels etc so it must be doing it's job. Do the P.O. need to have queues using it all day to make a profit? Maybe a few "fat-cats" at the top need chopping to save the money and let the outlets well alone. Humbug!!
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Sick of New Labour, Get rid says...
4:25pm Tue 22 Jan 08

New Labour = New Disaster

They have brought the armed forces and the emergency services to their knees with all the spending cuts and have fast destroyed the Royal Mail with their demands to remove its monopoly.

The Post Offices are closing because New Labour has taken away much of their core business and deliberately run them into the ground. All the lucrative business post contracts that helped support essential services such as Post Offices are now going out to private firms and the Royal Mail has been left with the bread and butter work of delivering post.

NOTE NEW LABOUR CAN AFFORD £2000 FROM EACH TAX PAYER TO SHORE UP NORTHERN ROCK, NOT TO MENTION THE BILLIONS WASTED ON THE IRAQ WAR.

Can this country last another 2 years before these lunatics are finally pushed from power?
Report this post »

Diana Hudson, Cliviger says...
4:09pm Tue 22 Jan 08

I visited Walk Mill Post Office today to discover that there's a huge box of leaflets in the Post Office, telling people about the "proposed" closure and what other Post Offices are available and informing them that there is to be a 6 week public consultation period. These leaflets are hidden away under other things and I only got one by asking. Why were these not sent out in the mail to every person in the area?
The proposed alternatives are; wait for it.... Pike Hill and Todmorden Rd!
It states that both are exactly 2.3 miles from Walk Mill along hilly terrain and that both have a regular bus service with bus stops 50 yards away. Since when has there been a regular bus service from Walk Mill? Buses are hourly from Walk Mill and half hourly inbetween from Holme and mean that if you go into the Post Office you will miss the next bus back and have to wait another hour with no shelter. If you want to object to these plans then you must DO something. You have until March 3rd.
I'd like to invite the boffins at the Post Office to come and sit in my wheelchair and try to make the journey to Tod Rd Post Office and back!
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Omar, New Bank Road Area - Blackburn says...
3:20pm Tue 22 Jan 08

Dulla & Saj Well done for bring this issue to everyone’s attention, I thought I was the only one they treated appallingly, they are a disgrace to the Post Office and it’s a shame better post office are being closed instead of the bad ones. I work in Customer Services and if I treated any on my customers the way the New Bank Road Post Office treats their customers I would be sacked! It’s just a shame no one can sack them / the post office aren’t taking note of what the customer is saying. I've stopped using this post office too
Report this post »

Saj, New Bank Road - Blackburn says...
3:05pm Tue 22 Jan 08

I agree with everything Dulla said about the New Bank Road Post Office – many good post offices are shutting, leaving a gap in the community, but with this place it should just be shut as the people who run it are jokers, who need to be taught the art of customer service. I live in the area I choose to travel to another post office rather than visiting this one. LEVAE THE REST OPEN JUST CLOSE THIS ONE!!!! PEOPLE OF BLACKBURN MAKE A STAND!!!
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letterman, Burnley says...
3:02pm Tue 22 Jan 08

If anyone thinks Kitty Ussher will help to save the post offices they are living in cloud- cuckoo land. Kitty fooled us with a petition of over 70,000 signatures to save the A&E but it might as well have been written on toilet paper for it finished up being flushed down the pan.
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Centaur, Abroad says...
2:18pm Tue 22 Jan 08

many sub post offices were closed in germany, but then they re-opened as a part of the local supermarket. They have the same hours as the supermarkets. They are franchised and provide the same services as they use to. It may not be perfect but it may be a good substitue and better than no sub post office
Report this post »

Dulla, Blackburn says...
1:22pm Tue 22 Jan 08

Only one post office in Blackburn needs shutting that is the NEW BANK ROAD one. It is run by the rudest, ill mannered, miserable men I have ever met. Manners-what manners, they never greet you, pass the time of day with or thank you; I just get the GRUNT from them. I was so disappointed with the service they were offering, I have stooped using them and I would tell everyone else to do the same. Use Patel’s Confectionary Store (new Bank Road) to pay your bills instead, they provided a much friendlier, helpful and warm service, compared to the idiots at NEW BANK ROAD Post OFFICE. POST OFFICE TAKE NOTE THE SOONER YOU CLOSE THEM DOWN THE BETTER.
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Dixidan, Blackpool says...
1:06pm Tue 22 Jan 08

They are closing one round Blackpool that a couple have run for 40 years and they live there aswell, so no only are we losing the all the services this couple are losing their home. Add my name to the petition
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dinky, B/Burn says...
12:54pm Tue 22 Jan 08

i dont understand how post offices work,

are they francised?

if not then surely its something to think about.

alot of post offices are now with in shops..

this will mean o.a.ps only have one stop and they can do everything.
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Mr S.Wilby, Cliviger says...
11:35am Tue 22 Jan 08

The post office in wakmill serves a mainly elderly population who will struggle to get to the nearest post office at pike hill or the main post office on Hargreaves street in Burnley town centre.As The bus services to both these areas are infrequent to say the least.Are the post office unaware that the people who use the post office in Walkmill are mainly elderly or infirm.How Do they expect them to travel such a distance to get their state pensions etc?.I think the senior management at Royal Mail are being unfair to the local community in closing this branch and should think again about reducing a service in the village that provides a vital service
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clydeiboy, rossendale says...
11:15am Tue 22 Jan 08

If they can find money for northern rock why not the Post Offices.
The Post Offices are at the center of the community and a nessessity to our way of life does that not count for anything
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P Off, Burnley says...
10:37am Tue 22 Jan 08

Lets get Kitty Usher on the ball for this, she wouldn't vote with the Govt and against the people now would she ?
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A, HACKING, Burnley says...
10:35am Tue 22 Jan 08

I think its great that people are willing to fight to keep post offices but unfortunately its unlikely to work. I hate sounding defeatist but how many of us fought for the A&E? Did it work? I wrote letters, signed petitions etc. My local library..same thing. Kitty Usher...useless so don't count on her. These desisions were made months ago as is with all political rubbish. Think we live in a democracy? Think again.
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Eric Flack, Glasgow says...
10:06am Tue 22 Jan 08

We ran a massive campaign to try an save our small local Post Office in Drumchapel. Over 1,000 individual letters plus 1300 people signed a petition. It was no use. However 2 Post Offices in the Glasgow area were saved. But immediately another two not on the original closure list were put up for closure. Thus if you save one another will get the chop. What were are finding is that there may be a third round of cuts in 2 years time. Good luck in your campaign. Our local Labour MPs voted for Post Office closures in May 2002 then ran campaigns to try and stop these closures which did not work.These campaigns seemed pretty ineffectual.
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Alexander Gordon, Darwen. on says...
9:56am Tue 22 Jan 08

I think it's a disgrace what the Royal Mail is trying to do by shutting down Sub-Post Offices. I live in the Sunnyhurst Area and our post office has just reopened 6 months ago and it's on the shut down list, my area is just like every other area it has elderly, disabled people etc if these shut downs go ahead just think about the big lose to the community it will have so people get up the petitions and write to your MP's lets fight for our rights etc and keep most of these post offices open.
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MR PATEL, Altom St,Blackburn says...
8:36am Tue 22 Jan 08

Ms Heseltine,
Why not..We have Nothing else to Lose..Or Have we??
Report this post »

Karen Heseltine, Burnley Wood says...
12:06am Tue 22 Jan 08

Here here Mr. Patel. I wonder if its worth us the like minded people whom posted here today re saving our Post Offices, if we started a petition on the Prime Ministers website?
Report this post »

Mr Patel, Blackburn says...
11:37pm Mon 21 Jan 08

I Have lived & worked in Blackburn for 40 Years, i am now a Pensioner, i have a Work CV service Record oF 30 Years at Northrop & Mullards in Blackburn.
I retired due to Suffeing a Heart Attack & Stroke,Hence,I am just clarifying the people above that not all people who use Post Offices are Benefit Claimants or Benefit layaabouts.
Like myself alot of Pensioners use Post Offices,they are handy for Paying Bills,buying neccasities & for having a nice Chinwag with with Folk alike.
Now this is being taken away from us,What Next??
We should all Demonstrate Peacefully at our Local MPS Office & ask them to have Mr Brown & his Pie in the Sky Policy Makers Think Twice!!!
Under this Crazy Labour Establishment First it was our Hospital in Blackburn that was closed to make way for a Super Hospital!! Then the OAP Services including the Meals On Wheels were Robbed from us the OAP!! Now the Schools are about to be Closed!! Houses are being Demolished in the Name of Regeneration where people are forced to accept Paltry payments of around £50-65,000 compulsary Purchase payments for their houses & then bein told to go & buy houses that cost 3 Times More Than what they are Given & that at the Grand old gae of 60+!!!
Come on Folks lets Stand up & Be Counted!!!
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andim, Blackburn says...
9:35pm Mon 21 Jan 08

The fact is that enough people are not using the post offices to keep them going. If they were used more then they would stay open. It is simple, online banking, direct debits and emails have all brought us to this point.
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JH, Darwen says...
9:21pm Mon 21 Jan 08

Quite a few of the post offices double up as shops selling food and other essentials, they are a valuable part of the community and many of these are in isolated places not everyone has access to banks or on-line banking the majority of people who use these are businesses and the elderly not everyone has access to cars and not everyone who has a car wants to go into town. we have seen many closures in Darwen, we only have 3 post offices left for all of Darwen none in Lower Darwen/Ewood
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Dave, Darwen says...
8:56pm Mon 21 Jan 08

The best way to stop these closures is to shop at thes post offices. Are enough people willing to do this,

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JD WITHERSPOON, Burnley says...
8:22pm Mon 21 Jan 08

THE PEOPLES POST OFFICE! Another Labour party joke to give their cronies a them a little bit more in their pockets and the public a little bit les for their money.
WHEN WILL THEY BE STOPPED.
Report this post »

Simon O'Carroll, Gt Harwood says...
7:07pm Mon 21 Jan 08

hi Karen, go for it. Its alright people going on about"Thats life" etc, but some people can't deal with it and rely on these services, in this day and age all the good things go to the wrong people and life is made harder for the good ones. In Gt Harwood were losing St Huberts, fair enough we have two but both serve different ends, the Sub Postmaster there is a great bloke and serves the community well, but hey we can just open yet another take away in its place!! live goes on lets just give up about caring for the people around us!!
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Karen Heseltine, Burnley Wood says...
6:05pm Mon 21 Jan 08

Dall Street Residents Association, will be making sure the powers the be are made aware that our Post Office is most definately needed, by our residents, many elderly, disabled whom can not get into town for their pensions etc, its many residents social get together when they go to collect their weekly pensions, some residents to see each other from week to week.
We most certainly are 100% committed in helping stop the closure of our Post Office.
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Tony, Burnley says...
5:54pm Mon 21 Jan 08

It's the way of life I'm afraid. On-line banking/ financial transactions are the way of the world now.

Post Offices have gradually become less relevant as people send email and this is a continuation of that process.

Had people been able to post their mail recently without all the disruptions, there may not have been the need for so many cuts.
Report this post »

andy, spain says...
5:40pm Mon 21 Jan 08

I remember when they closed the post office down on Brunshaw Road Burnley.

Though there are a lot of elderly,disabled, and parents with small kids in the area no one listened.

There was no need to close any Sub Post Offices these places where and are still the function of the communities they serve.

I was able to pay my Electric,Gas,Phone Bill,Rent and Council Tax at this place. Like many other people I had to go miles out of my way. The likes of Diane in Cliviger are the ones that suffer stop closing the heart of the community down. People do not just use a Post Office these days for sending a letter.
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letterman, Burnley says...
5:30pm Mon 21 Jan 08

What`s a post office?
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Simon, Gt Harwood says...
5:01pm Mon 21 Jan 08

Why don't the Post Office let Tesco by them out, their buying everything else these day! The poor people that struggle to get out and about!!
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Diana, Cliviger, Burnley says...
3:03pm Mon 21 Jan 08

Walk Mill, Cliviger has many old or disabled people who would find it totally impossible to reach the next nearest Post Office, 4 miles away at Pike Hill. I'm in a wheelchair and certainly couldn't catch a us to there. Buses to town are only half hourly and take half an hour then a very long walk to the main post office. It's been bad enough with the Post Office only opening for half a day for years. They are destroying local amenities.
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LOCAL SERVICE: This post office in Preston New Road, Blackburn, is earmarked for closure LOCAL SERVICE: This post office in Preston New Road, Blackburn, is earmarked for closure

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