RESIDENTS of West Devon are being urged to fight proposals to close eleven post offices in the borough under a national shake-up plan. A six-week public consultation period began on Tuesday following the announcement of the plan, which if implemented will see 16 services cut or reduced in West Devon's rural communities. It is proposed to close Tavistock's Ford Street and Sampford Courtenay post offices plus cut mobile services in Peter Tavy, Milton Combe and Buckland Monachorum. Post offices in Postbridge, Chillaton, Milton Abbot, Meeth, Northlew, Lewdown, Bridestowe, Ashwater and Shebbear are all set to close and be replaced by a mobile service. Current mobile services in Clearbrook and Lamerton will be replaced by home visits in 'extreme situations' where a person is unable to get to a post office through disability. The Government undertook a 12-week national consultation before reaching a decision to reduce the UK wide network of post office branches by up to 2,500 from its current level of more than 14,000. It says it has been necessary to put in place a sustainable network for the long term after mounting financial losses and falling customer numbers. But the proposals have prompted anger in West Devon. Milton Abbot Grouped Parish Cllr Ray Brewer said it was ridiculous even contemplating closing the post office in Chillaton. 'We are more than three miles from the next nearest post office in Lifton and there is no bus service to it,' he said. 'This proposal does not even meet the right criteria for accessibility introduced by the Government.' He said a mobile service situated on one side of the village for a few hours a week would not be a solution when it was 'lashing down with rain'. 'It's a non starter, really. There are four post offices lined up for closure in this area — the only left will be Lifton. 'One of the biggest problems will be the effect on the shop at Chillaton. The reduction in income from the post office will make it harder to keep the shop viable. We have to do all we can to try and stop this.' Hilary Pitt, who has been the Milton Abbot postmistress for 27 years, said it would be a sad day if the post office closed: 'I also have a newsagent's shop and sell stationery and cards so the businesses complement one another. 'We used to be quite busy but since they took all the benefits away from us trade for the post office has dropped off.' West Devon and Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox has set up a dedicated website on which residents can make their views felt: 'I was absolutely horrified by the briefing I received last week. 'Whole areas of Devon are being denuded of fully functioning post offices and I am not convinced that the outreach proposals are anything like suitable or adequate replacements. 'I am urging everybody in the affected areas, and elsewhere to get involved in this campaign. We need an overwhelming public response expressing opposition.' Cllr David Weeks, chairman of West Devon Borough Council's overview and scrutiny committee, said: 'We are very disappointed and fear these proposals will hit our rural parishes the hardest. 'We are meeting Postwatch on Friday and hope they will have data available to us so we can consider our next step.' A special task group was set up by borough councillors last year to respond to the proposals. Chairperson Alison Clish-Green, who attended a meeting in London last week, said: 'Some very innovative and exciting ideas as to how we could help were discussed. We will do our best to ensure that an adequate service is provided to our communities.' Post office network development manager for Devon Tim Nickolls said: 'We believe these proposals offer the best prospect for a sustainable way forward for post offices services in Devon, bearing in mind the minimum access criteria and the other factors to which we have to have regard. 'Under the proposals, almost 92% of the area's population will see no change at all to their nearest branch. 'A further 7.5% live less than one mile, by road distance from the nearest alternative branch, with 3.6 within half a mile. 'Post Office Ltd must reduce the number of branches. The purpose of this public consultation is to ensure that we have the best available knowledge to allow us to make the most informed decisions about which branches should close or be replaced by an outreach service.' The post office's proposals for change will be raised as an urgent item at this Thursday's meeting of Devon County Council.