Post Office to offload 108 branches putting around 1,000 jobs at risk
The Post Office is set to transfer its last remaining directly managed branches to franchise partners by the autumn – a move that puts around 1,000 jobs at risk and could result in closures or relocations.
A total of 108 crown branches, which are currently owned and operated by the organisation, will be affected under the new plans.
The shift forms part of the Post Office’s wider effort to free up funds, aiming to increase pay for postmasters by £250m a year by 2030.
While it’s understood most locations are expected to remain operational in their current premises, some may be taken over by large retail franchises or moved elsewhere, depending on individual agreements.
The decision follows a review of the branches announced late last year and comes after the Horizon IT scandal, which led to wrongful convictions of many subpostmasters.
Affected communities will still have access to services either at or near the same location, the Post Office has assured.
Post Office chairman Nigel Railton said: “Moving to a fully franchised network is one part of enabling the Post Office to deliver a New Deal for Postmasters, helping to create a long-term, sustainable future for the Post Office. By franchising these branches, we are protecting access to our services for communities right across the UK and realising £40 million worth of savings that will enable us to uplift postmasters’ remuneration by up to 10 per cent.”
The organisation also emphasised its commitment to maintaining a minimum of 11,500 branches across the UK.
Some of the affected branches include:
Barnes Green – Lee Road, Manchester
Bideford – The Quay, Bideford, Devon
Birmingham – Pinfold Street, Birmingham
Bransholme – A Goodhart Road, Bransholme, East Yorkshire
Breck Road – The Mall, Breck Road, Liverpool
Bridlington – Quay Road, Bridlington, East Yorkshire
Crossgates – Austhorpe Road, Crossgates, West Yorkshire
Didsbury Village – Albert Hill Street, Didsbury, Greater Manchester
Eccles – Church Street, Eccles, Greater Manchester
Gloucester – Kings Square, Gloucester, Gloucestershire
Grimsby – Victoria Street, Grimsby, Lincolnshire
Hyde – Market Place, Hyde, Greater Manchester
Kettering – Lower Street, Kettering, Northamptonshire
Leigh – Silk Street, Leigh, Greater Manchester
Matlock – Bank Road, Matlock, Derbyshire
Morley – Queens Street, Morley, West Yorkshire
Mutley – Mutley Plain, Plymouth, Devon
Nailsea – Crown Glass Place, Nailsea, Somerset
Newquay – East Street, Newquay, Cornwall
Old Swan – Prescot Road, Liverpool
Oswestry – Willow Street, Oswestry, Shropshire
Paignton – Torquay Road, Paignton, Devon
Prestwich – Kingswood Road, Prestwich, Greater Manchester
Redditch – Threadneedle House, Alcester Street, Redditch, Worcestershire
Rotherham – Bridgegate, Rotherham, South Yorkshire
Salford City – Rossall Way, Salford, Greater Manchester
St Johns – Albion Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Stamford – All Saints Place, Stamford, Lincolnshire
Stockport – Great Underbank, Stockport, Greater Manchester
Stroud – Russell Street, Stroud, Gloucestershire
Teignmouth – Den Road, Teignmouth, Devon
The Markets – New York Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Westbourne – Seamoor Road, Bournemouth, Dorset
Yate Sodbury – South Parade, Yate, Gloucestershire
