Post Office overhaul begins in Devon with more branches to follow

Big changes are underway

The first of six Post Offices in Devon and Cornwall has moved out of direct management and into private hands, marking the start of a wider transfer across the region.

On Thursday, September 4, Bideford Post Office became the first branch in the South West to be operated by South Coast Retail, a company run by experienced postmaster Liam Searle.

South Coast Retail will also take over the branches at Liskeard, Mutley, Newquay, Paignton and Teignmouth in the coming weeks. Branches in Westbourne, Bournemouth, and Romsey, Hampshire, are also due to transfer later this year.

Mr Searle, who has been a postmaster since 2019, already operates branches in Dorchester, Sherborne, Swanage and Weymouth, as well as an outreach service for three Swanage communities.

He said: “I am really looking forward to taking on my extra branches in Bideford, Liskeard, Mutley, Newquay, Paignton, Teignmouth, Westbourne and Romsey and serving these communities.

“We are a tight-knit company. Before the franchise announcements we had 50 employees and we now scale up to operate these branches in Devon, Cornwall and the South Coast, but we remain a small enough company where everyone knows each other. I welcome existing staff from these branches joining us, and there have also been job opportunities for new people.”

The Post Office confirmed that all existing services would continue at the new branches, with opening hours expected to remain the same. Depending on the viability of current sites, some branches could relocate locally with additional retail alongside Post Office services.

The changes are part of the Post Office’s five-year Transformation Plan, announced in November 2024, which aims to deliver an extra £250 million a year in remuneration for postmasters and partners by 2030.