A CLOSURE programme for one in every three urban post offices in North Yorkshire will begin as early as next January after winning the overwhelming support of MPs.

The House of Commons voted by 271 to 170 to approve a £210 million compensation package which will allow Consignia to axe a total of about 3,000 outlets across the country - a third of the urban network.

North Yorkshire has 78 urban post offices - with about 26 now set to be closed under the Government and Consignia's "reinvention" programme.

Trade Minister Stephen Timms last night insisted there was no alternative to the move, as there was not enough business to sustain the present number of outlets.

But he did promise a public consultation on every single closure proposal, and that 95 per cent of people would remain within one mile of a post office.

He also pledged post offices in the country's ten per cent most deprived wards would be protected - although this is unlikely to apply in North Yorkshire.

Mr Timms said: "This programme is vital to ensure that the Post Office can maintain an effective network, to ensure that the network can offer attractive prospects to sub-postmasters and to improve services for customers.

"We need to take this opportunity to set urban post offices firmly on the path towards sustained viability which is the key to enabling them to offer improved services for their customers from better, more convenient and more accessible locations."

The consumer group, Postwatch, said it accepted there were too many urban post offices competing for customers. But it said there should be full consultation with communites on individual closure decisions.

Consignia's executive director, Alan Barrie, said the first post offices earmarked for closure would be named in January.

The public will then be given four weeks to give their views on the proposal.

According to the Liberal Democrats, nine post offices are under threat in York itself and a further 17 in North Yorkshire's Parliamentary constituencies.

The £210million which has been approved by the European Union, will be spent on compensation payments to postmasters who wish to leave the industry. It will also be used to improve the facilities at the surviving urban outlets.

Updated: 11:18 Wednesday, October 16, 2002