The claim was made today by deputy council leader Tony Sharps after it was announced a fifth of Flintshire's post offices are to face the axe, with the Post Office entering into a seven-week public consultation period.

The news prompted furious protests from regular users of the services facing closure, Connah's Quay Golftyn, Pontybodkin, Brynford, Carmel, Gronant, Gwernymynydd, Holywell Holway, Lixwm, New Brighton and Rhosesmor, with people vowing to do all they can to try to keep them open.

However, speaking at a meeting of Flintshire Council's executive committee on Tuesday, council deputy leader Cllr Tony Sharps said he began warning people eight years ago they would lose their post offices if they did not make the most of them.

He added: "This has been on the cards for a long time and I started campaigning way back in 2000 for people to 'use or lose' their village or town post office.

"People in my ward, Northop Hall, have made use of theirs and it is staying open, but those that have been under-used will close and that is just a reality of life.

"There is no point campaigning to try to save post offices that are almost certainly going to close anyway – we need to focus our time and energy on salvaging whatever services we can and seeing what services we can provide after the post offices are closed.

"There are not yet any provisions in place for the closures and they are closures, not proposed ones – that is the end of it."

Councillors have agreed to hold a full debate and discussion into the closures, but this will be at the next full council meeting, which takes place after the consultation period finishes.

Although some councillors, including Neville Phillips, executive member for corporate governance and strategy, called for a special meeting to be held, it was decided that holding one would place too much pressure on the authority.

Cllr Sharps added: "We now need to concentrate on how we can make something better out of a bad situation. We can debate the issue, but it will just be a waste of time.

"I am very sorry for the areas where post offices are closing, as we are losing vital parts of our communities all the time, but we now need to switch our resources to seeing what can be done afterwards."

Council leader Arnold Woolley said: "We need to make sound proposals to maintain whatever resources that can be maintained. If we do not, then we will have failed our constituents."

The executive committee agreed to submit an initial response to the Post Office and to reserve the right to enter more comments after the full debate. It was also agreed that the authority would do its best to move forward with replacement "outreach" centres to compensate for the loss of post offices.

Colin Everett, Flintshire Council's chief executive, said: "If the initial outreach centres are successful, we can then look at implementing them in other areas where they may be beneficial.

"We must all remember that the Post Office is a commercial entity, but I have spoken to many members who say they are keen to do as much as then can to help the areas that are affected."

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