It may seem like there’s little need for a Post Office in the digital age. Why post anything when next-day-delivery is ubiquitous on online shops, and you can reach anyone anywhere in the world at the click of a button?
Sure, post is no longer the primary mode of communication, but Post Offices do more than they say on the tin. They’re also able to exchange currencies, help with government forms, pensions, or benefits, and even sell travel insurance, or stamps. Basically, they’re pretty underrated, so it’s bad news to hear that over 100 of them are set to close in the UK in the near future.
According to the Post Office, 115 branches and more than 1,000 jobs are at risk as part of plans to boost pay for postmasters – who manage the individual post offices – by 2030. Those on the chopping block are the only ones still owned directly by the company, rather than run as franchises by people or partners like WH Smith. Those ones, which represent the majority of post offices in the country, are not under any threat.
The revelation of potential closures comes at the end of a rough year for the organisation. It was only a few months ago that the Post Office faced a lot of scrutiny from the public and the government in light of the ongoing Horizon scandal, which saw hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongly accused of stealing money due to software errors. Some were even sent to prison in what was ultimately one of the most widespread miscarriages of justice in Britain this century.
According to the chairman of the group, Nigel Railton, these closures will offer ‘a new deal for postmasters’ and ‘restore pride in working for a business with a legacy of service, rather than one of scandal’.
Despite that, the union is not convinced. A representative from the Communication Workers Union said the move is ‘as tone deaf as it is immoral’, and called for the plans to pause until preventative steps can be taken by the Government.
Which Post Office branches might close?
The full list of post offices potentially facing closure across the UK is as follows:
- Bangor - 143 Main Street, BT20 4AQ
- Belfast City - 12-16 Bridge Street, BT1 1LT
- Edinburgh City - Waverley Mall, Waverley Bridge, EH1 1BQ
- Glasgow - 136 West Nile Street, G1 2RD
- Haddington - 50 Court Street, EH41 3UU
- Inverness - 14-16 Queensgate, IV1 1AX
- Kirkwall - 15 Junction Road, KW15 1DD
- Londonderry - 3 Custom House Street, BT48 6AA
- Newtownards - 8 Frances Street, BT23 4FA
- Saltcoats - Chapelwell Street, KA21 5EX
- Springburn Way - 230 Springburn Way, Glasgow, G21 1BU
- Stornoway - 16 Francis Street, HS1 2AD
- Wester Hailes - 14A Westside Plaza, EH14 2SW
- Barnes Green - Lee Road, Manchester, M9 4DL
- Bransholme - 51A Goodhart Road, Bransholme, Hull, HU7 4JF
- Bridlington - 15-17 Quay Road, YO15 2AA
- Chester-Le-Street - 137 Front Street, Chester-le-Street, DH3 3AA
- Crossgates - 9 Austhorpe Road, Crossgates, Leeds, LS15 8QS
- Eccles - 63 Church Street, Manchester, M30 0NS
- Furness House - 5-7 Dalton Road, LA14 1LE
- Grimsby - 67-71 Victoria Street, DN31 1AA
- Hyde - 30-32 Market Place, SK14 2QU
- Kendal - 75 Stricklandgate, LA9 4AA
- Manchester - 26 Spring Gardens, M2 1BB
- Morecambe - 2-6 Victoria Street, LA4 4AA
- Morley - 129A Queens Street, Leeds, LS27 8TB
- Poulton Le Fylde - Teanlowe Centre, FY6 7BB
- Prestwich - 2 Kingswood Road, Manchester, M25 3NS
- Rotherham - 3-5 Bridgegate, S60 1PJ
- Salford City - 112 Rossall Way, M6 5DS
- Sheffield City - (unclear which branch)
- South Shields - 8 King Street, NE33 1HT
- St Johns, Leeds, LS2 8LP
- Sunderland City - 45-47 Fawcett Street, SR1 1RR
- The Markets - 6-16 New York Street, Leeds, LS2 7DZ
- Birmingham - 1 Pinfold Street, B2 4AA
- Breck Road - 11 The Mall, Liverpool, L5 6SW
- Caernarfon - Castle Square, LL55 2ND
- Didsbury Village - Albert Hill Street, Manchester, M20 6RJ
- Harlesden - 2 Wendover Road, London, NW10 4RU
- Kettering - 17 Lower Street, NN16 8AA
- Kingsbury - 439-441 Kingsbury Road, London, NW9 9DU
- Leigh - 17 Silk Street, WN7 1AA
- Leighton Buzzard - 7-9 Church Square, LU7 1AA
- Matlock - 14 Bank Road, DE4 3AA
- Milton Keynes - Unit N1 802 Midsummer Boulevard, MK9 3QA
- Northolt - 46 Mandeville Road, UB5 5AA
- Old Swan - 489 Prescot Road, Liverpool, L13 3BU
- Oswestry - 17 Willow Street, SY11 1AG
- Oxford - 102-104 St Aldates, OX1 1ZZ
- Redditch - Threadneedle House, Alcester Street, B98 8AB
- Southall - 38 The Broadway, UB1 1PY
- St Peters Street - 14 St Peters Street, St Albans, AL1 3AA
- Stamford - All Saints Place, Stamford, PE9 2EY
- Stockport - 36-40 Great Underbank, SK1 1QF
- Wealdstone - 4-12 Headstone Drive, Harrow, HA3 5QL
- Barnet - 63-65 High Street, EN5 5UU
- Cambridge City - 57-58 St Andrew Street, CB2 3BZ
- Canning Town - 22 Barking Road, London, E16 1HF
- Cricklewood - 193 Cricklewood Broadway, London, NW2 3HR
- Dereham - Quebec Street, Dereham, NR19 2AA
- Golders Green - 879 Finchley Road, London, NW11 8RT
- Hampstead - 79-81A Hampstead High Street, London, NW3 1QL
- Harold Hill - 17 Farnham Road, Romford, RM3 8EJ
- Kilburn - 79A Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 6JG
- Kingsland - 118-120 Kingsland High Street, London, E8 2NX
- Lower Edmonton - 1-7 South Mall, Edmonton Green, London, N9 0TX
- Roman Road - 138 Roman Road, Bethnal Green, London, E2 0RX
- South Ockendon - 8 Derwent Parade, RM15 5EB
- Stamford Hill - (unclear, two possible locations) Bideford - The Quay, EX39 2EX
- Dunraven Place - 4-5 Wyndham Street, Bridgend, CF31 1AB
- Gloucester - Kings Square, GL1 1AD
- Liskeard - The Parade, PL14 6AA
- Merthyr Tydfil - 3 John Street, CF47 0AB
- Mutley - 38 Mutley Plain, Plymouth, PL4 6LL
- Nailsea - Crown Glass Place, Bristol, BS48 1RA
- Newquay - 31-33 East Street, TR7 1BU
- Paignton - 34 Torquay Road, TQ3 3EX
- Port Talbot - 139 Station Road, SA13 1NG
- Stroud - 16-17 Russell Street, GL5 3AA
- Teignmouth - Den Road, TQ14 8AA
- Yate Sodbury - 1 South Parade, Bristol, BS37 4BB
- Baker Street - 111 Baker Street, London, W1U 6SG
- Bexhill On Sea - Devonshire Square, TN40 1AA
- Cosham - 13 High Street, Portsmouth, PO6 3EH
- Great Portland Street - 173 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 5PH
- High Street (10) - (unclear, multiple locations) Kensington - 208-212 Kensington High Street, London, W8 7RG
- Knightsbridge - 6 Raphael Street, London, SW7 1DL
- Melville Road - 20 Melville Road, Hove, BN3 1UB
- Paddington Quay - 4 Praed Street, London, W2 1JX
- Portsmouth - Slindon Street, PO1 1AB
- Raynes Park - 1a Amity Grove, London, SW20 0LL
- Romsey - 15-25 Church Street, SO51 8WA
- Westbourne - 10-12 Seamoor Road, Bournemouth, BH4 9AW
- Windsor - 38-39 Peascod Street, SL4 1AA
- Worlds End - 351-353 Kings Road, London, SW3 5EX
- Aldwych - 95 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4JN
- Brixton - 242 Ferndale Road, London, SW9 8FR
- Broadway - 1 Broadway, London, SW1H 0AX
- City of London - 12 Eastcheap, London, EC3M 1AJ
- East Dulwich - 74-76 Lordship Lane, London, SE22 8HH
- Eccleston Street - 6 Eccleston St, London SW1W 9LS
- High Holborn - 181 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7RL
- Houndsditch - 11 White Kennet Street, London, E1 7BS
- Islington - 160-161 Upper Street, London, N1 1US
- Kennington Park - 410 Kennington Road, London, SE11 4QA
- London Bridge - 19A Borough High Street, London, SE1 9SF
- Lupus Street - 121-125 Lupus Street, London, SW1V 3EW
- Mount Pleasant - Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4SQ
- Vauxhall Bridge Road - 167 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1V 2ST
Find out more about the potential London closures on Time Out here.
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