The Post Office is currently restructuring its urban branches

Postwatch has been angered by revelations that the Post Office has planned the closure of nine post offices in Swansea and seven in Gower.

The proposed closures are part of the "Urban Reinvention" programme, under which many urban post offices will be closed and others modernised.

Several branch offices across the country have already been closed under the programme - but one in Kenfig Hill, near Bridgend, has been saved following local lobbying.

PROPOSED CLOSURES IN GOWER Bwlchymynydd, Loughor Garden Village Kingsbridge, Gorseinon Llangyfelach Newton Norton Upper Loughor

Speaking to Radio Wales on Thursday, Dave Barrett,head of the Urban Post Office Network for Wales, said the decision to close so many branches was regrettable.

"It is part of our continuing programme of network reinvention," he said.

"We have too many post offices chasing too little business, and we cannot operate the same size branch network any more."

Mr Barrett said the closure of the 16 branches would enable the survival of the remaining 73 in the Swansea area.

But, he said he welcomed the views of members of the public during the consultation process, which lasts until 22 July.

Under a restructuring scheme, the Post Office aims to close a third of its UK-wide network of more than 9,000 urban branches, while modernising many of the remaining ones.

The Urban Reinvention Programme begun in November 2000 and has seen protests across Wales and the UK in areas which face post office branch closures.

Eifion Pritchard, chairman of Postwatch Wales, said the organisation would try to ensure all customers still had access to a nearby post office if some were closed.

He added: "There is no doubt that customers are affected when a post office closes.

PROPOSED CLOSURES IN SWANSEA Crwys Terrace, Penlan Cwmbwrla Frederick Place, Llansamlet Grenfell Park Port Tennant Treboeth Carmarthen Road Mount Pleasant Parkway Post Office, Sketty Park

"Postwatch's primary concern is to ensure that when this does happen, customers will still have good access to post office services.

"Postwatch is examining the proposed closures of these post offices as well as every other proposed closure across Wales.

"Where we are not satisfied that customers will still have good access to post office services, we will strongly oppose the proposed closure through the agreed process.

"The consultation process we have negotiated is aimed at identifying whether customers in the Swansea area will still have access to post office services if these post offices close."