How will the planned Post Office closures affect you?

The Post Office has confirmed plans to shut down 115 branches, a move that could potentially lead to the loss of 1,000 jobs. The branches at risk may be transferred to retail partners or postmasters, or they might face closure.

Have your say! How will the planned Post Office closures affect you? Comment below and join in the conversation.

The locations under threat are the 115 Crown Post Offices branches, which are located in city or town centres and are the only remaining branches directly owned by the Post Office. Furthermore, the Post Office confirmed that several roles at its head office are also in jeopardy.

Paignton is among four Devon Post Offices named on the list. Other Devon Post Offices are at Bideford, Teignmouth and Mutley in Plymouth.

Nigel Railton, chair of the Post Office, announced that the restructuring, dependent on Government funding, would boost postmasters’ pay by £250million over five years. This announcement was made as part of a significant transformation programme for the struggling state-owned mail and financial services company.

The Post Office operates 11,500 branches across the UK. Sky News, which first reported the closures this week, said the Government had been consulted on the plans.

Mr Railton stated: “The Post Office has a 360-year history of public service and today we want to secure that service for the future by learning from past mistakes and moving forward for the benefit of all postmasters. We can, and will, restore pride in working for a business with a legacy of service, rather than one of scandal. The value postmasters deliver in their communities must be reflected in their pockets, and this Transformation Plan provides a route to adding more than £250million annually to total postmaster remuneration by 2030, subject to government funding.”

A representative for the Post Office clarified: “The plan intends to create a new operating model for the business that means ensuring the Post Office has the right organisational design.”

Amidst ongoing public scrutiny and investigation at the public inquiry into the infamous Horizon IT scandal, which continues this week, these statements are particularly relevant. The scandal notoriously led to the convictions of many sub-postmasters, unjustly accused of theft due to the faulty Horizon computer system.

Adding to the discussion at the inquiry, Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds shared his observations, noting that “very significant changes” must be undertaken within the Post Office’s framework. He said: “I think, despite the scale of this scandal, the Post Office is still an incredibly important institution in national life. I look at the business model of the Post Office, and I think even accounting for the changes in the core services that are provided, there’s still a whole range of services that are really important. But I don’t think postmasters make sufficient remuneration from what the public want from the Post Office.”

Have your say! How will the planned Post Office closures affect you? Comment below and join in the conversation.