As high-profile campaigns, politicians and public meetings condemn proposed closures of Post Offices in Watford and Elstree, the calls of those aiming to save a branch in Bushey seem to have been drowned out.

Located at the edge of the village, by a steep hill stripped of bus stops, the Post Office in Bushey Hall Road has been serving the North Bushey community for around 80 years.

Its current owners, Nitin and Deepa Parmar, said elderly and disabled people will suffer if the branch is closed but admitted a reduction in services has seen customer numbers plummet.

Petitions against the closure by the Parmars and Bushey North Councillor Steve O’Brien collected signatures from around 200 residents, councillors and Hertsmere MP James Clappison, but the local campaigns have been mostly overshadowed by those surrounding other branches in the borough.

At last week’s meeting of Hertsmere Borough Council’s executive, Bushey councillors Roger Kutchinsky, Lynne Hodgson and Brenda Batten criticised council officers for ignoring the Bushey Hall Road Post Office in a letter and report.

Councillor Kutchinsky said: “North Bushey is being targeted for economy cuts.

“It’s amazing that of the three post offices that are recommended for closure, the council only intends to oppose two of them.”

He argued that a lack of transport links and the area’s high proportion of old and poor people was not considered.

Councillor Hodgson added: “If you actually look at the report carefully you will note that there is well over a page of arguments for keeping the Elstree Post Office, there’s a good section for Potters Bar and there’s one short paragraph for Bushey.”

Although originally putting the lack of argument about Bushey down to “oversight”, council leader Morris Bright and Policy and Transport Manager Mark Silverman said there was a stronger case for the other closures.

Citing Bushey Hall Road’s proximity to Watford, Councillor Bright added: “It’s harder to make a case for Bushey.”

Mr Parmar, 47, who has worked in the post office for 12 years, said he was not optimistic about its future.

He said: “Last time I was able to say no but this time I have no option. It’s the criteria set by the Government. It’s a big part of the community but it looks like they will take the post office away and I will have to find a new job.

“There is no transport here and the elderly people will struggle. Even young people struggle going up the hill.”

He did, however, say he realised why the post office was not as successful as it used to be, naming direct debit payments as a key factor that has moved customers away.

He said: “We have lost a lot of bill payments as a lot of companies now charge fees if you pay in a Post Office. That has put a lot of people off. I remember we had queues of customers in the early days for pensions. Now the new pensioners use direct debits.”