POST OFFICES

They are a cornerstone of the high street in many towns and villages, providing vital services, but the UK’s remaining standalone Post Offices are earmarked for closure – much to the dismay of many residents

by KATHRYN KNIGHT

Come rain or shine, anyone who wanders into the Post Office in the historic port town of Bideford will always find it teeming with people. ‘Even with three or four serving windows open, there’s always a queue,’ says local resident Teresa Tinsley. ‘It’s extremely well used.’

But perhaps not for much longer. Because at the end of last year, the residents of Bideford in Devon were told that their local Post Office was among 115 crown branches – meaning those owned directly by the company – across the country earmarked for closure in coming months. It would instead likely be replaced by a franchise model in which Post Office services are offered in supermarkets or in shops such as WHSmith.

Not that this has done much to reassure Bideford residents. According to Tinsley, also a Liberal Democrat district councillor in the town, most of them are ‘appalled’ at the prospect of losing the standalone Post Office that has been at the heart of the town for decades.

‘It’s provided vital services here for so many years,’ she says. ‘We’ve had so many bank closures, and small businesses and charities depend on the Post Office to pay in their money. We also have quite an elderly population and the Post Office services bridge the gap between the online and the offline world. Franchises do not offer the same range.’