A respected local pressure group is arguing that plans to shut down the New Road Post Office in Linslade would breach the government's guidelines on post office closures.

The Leighton Buzzard Society, which is a long-established watchdog on planning and environment matters, says it would leave about half the population of Linslade living more than one mile from a post office branch.

If the nearest post office was the main town centre office in Church Square, then thousands of residents would be beyond this crucial distance.

The government's access criteria state that even after the coming closures all across the country, 90 per cent of the UK population should live within one mile of their nearest post office, rising to 95 per cent of the urban population. But the society has drawn circles to scale on the local street map and finds that all of 'upper' Linslade is beyond the mile limit. It includes the Lomond Drive and Derwent Road area, nearly all of Bideford Green, Milebush, Chestnut Drive, and half of Coniston Road and Himley Green.

If the 1,000 new homes that have been proposed between Derwent Road and the bypass were to be built that would affect as many as a further 2,500 people.

Overall, the society says it would clearly leave well under the government's own 95 per cent target in Leighton-Linslade living within a mile from a branch and it would be wrong to treat the town differently from the national criteria.

But on the other hand, if the New Road branch stays open, the arc on the map shows that everybody in Linslade will be within the magic mile distance as the crow flies, and so would about half of the possible building site to the west.

The Leighton Buzzard Society's Transport Officer, Harry Maughan, has advised the Post Office's National Consultation team that the Bideford Green estate is densely populated and that Linslade is a town in its own right. In a letter objecting to the proposal to close Linslade's sole post office he says Linslade's population has passed the 18,000 mark and is continually seeing infill development raise its population further.

Mr Maughan also points out that Leighton-Linslade and the South Bedfordshire Corridor is a major growth area under the Milton Keynes Sub-Regional Strategy. By 2031 the south Beds population is expected to reach 400,000, which is equal to Bristol today.

''Such an extremely large population needs more infrastructure for sustainability - the government-stated criteria - not less. So more facilities, taking in post offices, have to be provided.

''We look forward to hearing that New Road, Linslade Post Office, will remain in operation. Mr and Mrs Razaaq wish to continue the service in the premises they provide and staff.''

In the same way the society is also against shutting Hockliffe Street post office.