The petition of residents of the constituency of Torbay,
Declares that Paignton post office has been threatened with closure, and further declares that post offices, and the services they provide, are vital parts of our community.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government and the post office to reverse their decision to put Paignton post office at risk of closure.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Steve Darling, Official Report, 02 April 2025; Vol. 765, c. 390.]
[P003062]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Blair McDougall):
Thank you to the petitioners for raising concerns regarding the potential closure of Paignton post office.
As announced on 8 April, Post Office is moving to a fully franchised network as part of its commitment to deliver a new deal for postmasters. This means all 108 current directly managed branches (DMBs)—also known as Crown branches—are in scope of these changes, including Paignton post office.
Despite accounting for less than 1% of the total network, DMBs generate significant losses for Post Office. To address the losses these branches incur, and having reviewed alternative options, Post Office has concluded that moving to a fully franchised network is the only solution that protects post office services in communities. Transitioning to a franchise model is expected to result in over £100 million of savings for the company over the next five years.
While the potential location of a post office outlet remains an operational matter for Post Office, it may alleviate your concerns to learn that Post Office intends to replace DMBs with mains branches where possible (mains branches offer similar services to DMBs). Where this is not possible, Post Office has committed to ensure that all communities currently served by a DMB will have at least one mains branch within a one-mile radius of the existing branch, meaning customers continue to have access to a full suite of products and services, including cash deposits and withdrawals and key Government services, such as passport applications and DVLA services.
Post Office is currently working with prospective franchise partners to find the best outcome for each DMB location. In terms of what this means at a local level for each DMB, Post Office will keep staff and customers informed about changes to individual branches as plans progress.