YORK residents are to get a chance to grill Post Office chiefs on the planned closure of seven branches in the city.

Members of City of York Council's Scrutiny Management Committee (SMC) last night agreed to call a public meeting after Post Office bosses announced the wave of closures last week.

They plan to invite Post Office chiefs to give a presentation to city residents. Other groups, including Post Office consumer watchdog Postwatch, will also be asked to attend.

Branches in Albemarle Road, Bishopthorpe Road, Boroughbridge Road, Clarence Street, Fishergate, Gale Lane and Holgate Road all face the axe. SMC member, councillor Mark Hill, of Fishergate ward, said he was "very concerned" about the impact on residents there if Fishergate Post Office shuts its doors.

He said: "Fishergate branch office is a very busy provider - an absolute hub of the community.

"It will in my view damage the local service, not only for individuals who collect their benefits there, but also for local businesses.

"I think the council is obliged to do whatever it can to try and ameliorate this."

A consultation process into the closures is currently under way.

Members of the public have until October 4 to give their comments to Post Office chiefs.

Hilary Putnam, regional committee member for Postwatch Northern England, told yesterday's SMC meeting that the watchdog accepted that some post office closures were inevitable as business declined. But she said her organisation conducted its own investigation into planned closures, and had in the past fought successfully to keep vital branches open.

A Post Office spokesman said today: "We will certainly come to a meeting under the auspices of the council.

"The whole idea of this consultation process is to give us an opportunity to explain in detail why these proposals are being made and to give people an opportunity to make their comments and representations to us."

Topics Post Office bosses could be asked to highlight in their presentation include information about transport links to and from branches proposed for closure.

Micklegate ward councillor Dave Merrett said if some branches could not be saved information on what alternative provision could be provided should be made available.

SMC chairman Coun Madeleine Kirk said she hoped the meeting would go ahead in mid-September.

Information forms about the closures are available at Post Office branches.

Updated: 11:17 Wednesday, August 25, 2004