Post Office Network Consultation

Post Office Network Consultation

Parish Councillors were surprised to find an item in The TImes on 12 December which revealed that there is a Consultation taking place on the rules* that have so far protected Post Office (PO) branches by ensuring that 95% of people are within 3 miles of their nearest PO branch. This Consultation has clearly not been widely publicised and the final date for responses is 21st December 2016.

The introduction to the 2016 Post Office Network Consultation document states:

'Government provides funding to maintain a national network of post office branches that is accessible to everyone. We want you to tell us what you expect from the post office network. Your responses will be used to help determine the funding provided to the post office after the existing agreement with Post Office Limited ends in 2018. We are not proposing to make any changes to the network through this consultation.'

The government has committed to provide a £80m a year subsidy to Post Office Limited until 2018. This is in recognition that 'The PO network creates significant economic and social benefits for the communities it serves and it is important that this value is protected.' Despite the statement that no changes are proposed, there are concerns that this consultation may be the first step towards cutting the subsidy, which could then lead to closures in yet more Post Offices, especially those in rural areas.

You can find the link to the Consultation document and details of how to submit a response here. We urge residents to take the time to read the proposals and respond to the Consultation to confirm you wish to retain the existing criteria, which include the fact that PO Ltd has to ensure that 95% of people are within 3 miles of their nearest PO branch.

*These rules are set out in an Entrustment letter dated 23 January 2015, which you can read here.

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