Post Office Ltd announces plan for Northern Ireland

Post Office Ltd today (Tuesday, 1 April) opened local public consultation on changes to the Post Office® network in Northern Ireland needed to meet Government requirements.

Proposals for the future provision of Post Office services have been published today and will remain open for consultation for six weeks until 12 May 2008.

Under the Northern Ireland proposals, 94.1 pct of the total population will see no change to their nearest Post Office branch.

The plan proposes future provision of Post Office services through a network of 492 branches, including 54 outreach outlets, while 42 branches would close. The number of branches in the network currently is 534.

Of the 492 branches that are proposed to remain open, 54 Post Office branches will be operated through a form of outreach service. These services will give customers continued access to Post Office services in their local communities on a regular basis without having to travel to another branch.

Possible types of outreach service include a mobile Post Office visiting small communities at set times; a hosted service operated within third-party premises for restricted hours each week (a local community centre, for example); a partner service within the premises of local retail partner (such as a shop), or a home service whereby customers can contact a subpostmaster by telephone for Post Office services.

Post Office Ltd is seeking views on the proposed future service provision in Northern Ireland including, in particular, views on access to Post Office services, the accessibility of alternative branches to those proposed for closure and the appropriate provision of outreach services.

Post Office Ltd has made these proposals after engaging with and taking input from the independent consumer watchdog on postal services, Postwatch, and from local authorities. It has also considered factors relating to geography, the availability of local transport and alternative access to key Post Office services, local demographics and the impact on local economies. Views on all these factors are welcomed during the six-week consultation process.