Exclusive: Years of waiting for post offices to reopen

Some 38 branches across the region have been shut for longer than 12 months with the average closure lasting more than three years and three months, figures show.

Campaigners say there is no wonder so many have closed with little sign of reopening as more transactions traditionally done at Post Offices increasingly available online, while blame was also directed at the government for failing to deliver on a 2010 promise to turn Post Offices into a ‘front office’ for government services.

Three main opportunities were identified for growing government business at post offices: identity verification, processing, and payments to or from customers. Along with financial services, it was identified as an area of “real growth potential”.

But it has failed to prevent dozens of closures in Yorkshire.

Seven of the region’s branches have been in a state of temporary closure for more than a year, five for over two years, another five for more than three years, six for over four years and 15 for over five years.

The longest closure has been in the village of Coxwold in North Yorkshire. Its branch has been shut since February 2008.

Branches in Great Habton; Bright Street, York; Cowling; Danby; Draughton and Staveley in North Yorkshire; Braithwell; Lower Manor and Treeton in South Yorkshire; Seaton and Sledmere in East Yorkshire, and Broomhill; Deighton and Scholes in West Yorkshire have also been closed for more than five years.

Of the total closures, 16 were in North Yorkshire, with branches in Cundall; Glasshouses; Kildale; Litton; Lythe; Saxton; Stockton-On-Forest; Wintringham and Wistow also still shut after at least a year.

West Yorkshire was the next worst hit, with 11 branches remaining shut including those in East Keswick; Mixenden; Birkenshaw; Crigglestone; Cottingley Hall; Queens Drive, Ossett; Haworth Brow and Clayton West. Seven branches in South Yorkshire are still closed; among them those in Aldham; Shafton; Little Houghton and Todwick.

Only four have been temporarily closed for more than a year in East Yorkshire, including those in Elstronwick and Brantingham.

George Thomson, general secretary of the National Federation of SubPostmasters, said: “Subpostmasters are finding it increasingly difficult to make a living because of falling incomes.

“The government promised to make post offices its ‘front office’ and this was due to form a major part of branch’s revenues but this has so far failed to materialise. Meanwhile, income from the mails business is under significant attack from competitors such as CollectPlus and myHermes.”

Anne McIntosh, Tory MP for Malton, Thirsk and Filey, said too many services had moved online and away from Post Offices. The Government declined to comment having surrendered operational control since its much-criticised sale of Royal Mail in 2013.

But according to the Post Office, 99.7 per cent of the UK population lives within three miles of a branch, and where there is an opportunity for them to be reopened in a sustainable way, they will be.

Two branches in Yorkshire have recently reopened – in Tang Hall Lane and Warmgate Bar, both in York.

A spokesman said: “We are committed to maintaining our network at around its current size and ensuring accessibility. The Post Office is currently engaged in the largest investment programme in its history, modernising our branches to help improve their profitability and benefit our customers through longer opening hours and modern retail environments.

“UK wide this now means that over 2,000 Post Offices open on a Sunday, and the opening hours at modernised branches have increased making more branches accessible in the early morning, later evening, Saturdays and, as mentioned above, Sundays. This is also in line with the Government’s commitment to no more branch closure programmes.”

As at the end of March 2014, there were 981 open and trading Post Office branches in the Yorkshire region.

Ms McIntosh said: “It is the Post Offices in smaller villages that are struggling. Sometimes if you go to a smaller rural location you have a postmaster who wants to retire and it can be difficult for communities to find alternative premises.”

Douglas Chalmers, of the Country Land and Business Association said said: “Not everyone does internet banking and sometimes the Post Office is the only way for some people. There is also a social impact when a Post Office closes, as they are often congregation points locally for people without cars and those who are less mobile.”