As of March 2017 there are 11,659 post office branches in the United Kingdom. The vast majority of post offices (around 98%) are operated by franchise partners or sub-postmasters, who are independent business people. Only around 2% of post offices are directly managed by Post Office Limited.
Post Office Ltd, which owns and runs the Post Office Network, was separated from Royal Mail Group Ltd on 1 April 2012. In return for a package of Government funding for transformation and modernisation, the Post Office has committed to investing in the network, and maintaining around 11,500 branches. Gone are the bad old days of constant post office closures.
The government has committed almost £2 billion in funding for the network for the period April 2011 to March 2018. This will enable the Post Office to maintain and modernise its network, helping ensure its long term sustainability.
In return for this funding, the Post Office is required to maintain a network of at least 11,500 branches, and continue to meet the strict government-set access criteria that ensure 99% of the population live within three miles of a post office outlet.
This is all good news, especially at a time when many banks are closing their branches. From time to time for local or personal reasons, eg retirement, a post office will close, but Post Office Limited will then do their utmost to find an alternative outlet in that location. Sometimes it might relocate into another shop. This has worked well in Plympton.
A recent closure has taken place in Hooe (Plymstock) where the postmaster has stood downwith effect from 13th February 2018. This is in an area where the post office is very important to the local community, so Post Office Limited are working hard to find an alternative. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please get them to contact Post Office Limited direct.
Due to the onward march of technology, I suspect that in 30 years’ time we will not see the network of post offices that we now see. We will do everything online, or whatever replaces “online.” In the meantime for many people in the community, especially those who do not live their lives on the internet, or do not trust the internet with financial transactions, these branches are an oasis of service and contact.
The government remains committed to ensuring that the network remains in place to serve our communities.