BRIDGERULE recently enjoyed a day of fun and celebration as Bridgerule Village Store was re-launched with the help of Devon County Council Rural Shops Alliance (Community Supporting Retail).

Consumer Focus, the consumer champions for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, has applauded Devon County Council for the support it is giving to rural post office shops.

Richard Brown of Consumer Focus, wrote to the council after carrying out research in Devon looking into the community response and resilience strategies following Post Office Limited's (POL) Network Change Programme in 2008.

POL's Change Programme closed 41 post offices outright across Devon and Torbay and replaced a further 37 with outreach services.

Mr Brown told the council that Consumer Focus endorses the council's scheme, which is supporting 16 Post Office shops in communities that otherwise are likely to have lost the only convenience shops they have.

Andy Burrows, Post Office expert at Consumer Focus said: This is welcome news as a long-term approach is crucial to ensure Post Offices stay open in remote areas like Dartmoor. The loss of these services would have serious implications for local people. Often closing the Post Office means losing the last shop in the village.

In a climate of public bodies being asked to do more for less, this is an excellent example of how a local authority can cost-effectively support vital services in their area. It is pleasing to see the scheme provides business advice as well as funding to ensure the Post Offices can remain viable in the long-term.

He added: We are currently assessing the impact of Post Office closures throughout Devon, and will be examining the importance of this scheme as a model for how community Post Offices can survive and thrive.

Devon County Council's cabinet has now agreed to extend the council's support for a further two years.

See the 'Post' for a full report.