UK Post offices 'to be opened in pubs'

Temporary post office branches could be opened in pubs in order to meet government efficiency targets.

That is according to the Post Office’s first batch of local consultations on which branches should be closed under government plans.

They propose that roughly 15 per cent of post offices be closed in order to meet central government targets.

Announced last year by then trade and industry secretary Alistair Darling, the plans, designed to cut losses on the post office network, envisaged a fall in the number of local branches from just over 14,000 to almost 12,000 over an 18-month period.

Published today are the individual plans for post offices in Kent, the east Midlands and an area encompassing eastern Yorkshire, Bassetlaw and north Lincolnshire.

But the Post Office insists that 99 per cent of customers will see no change to their services, with nine in ten people remaining within one mile of a post office.

Under today’s consultation plans, Kent would lose 58 of its 363 post offices, the number of branches in the east Midlands will fall from 433 to 360 and 336 post offices would remain in eastern Yorkshire after 45 are closed.

The plan to open post offices in pubs is among a number of outreach proposals that also include the option of mobile branches.

“Taking the decision to close any post office branch is always very difficult and we know will cause concern to many of our customers,” commented Post Office managing director Alan Cook.

Mr Cook added: “We want to ensure that everyone who uses, relies on or has any concern with post office services is both fully aware of the changes we are proposing to meet government requirements, and able to give views on how accessible services will be in the future.”