Post Office’s ‘Immoral’ five-year plan puts Roman Road Branch at risk of closure or conversion to WHSmith
Up to 32 Post Office branches across London could close as part of a national shake-up, including the Bethnal Green Post Office on Roman Road.
The Post Office announced on November 13 that up to 115 Post Office branches are at risk of closure as part of a 5-year improvement plan.
The well-used 138 Roman Road branch in Bethnal Green near Simply Fresh and Peckover Butchers, is on the list of those at risk.
Post Office has 11,500 branches across the UK with 115 remaining Crown Post Offices which the company want to become franchise stores.
If a branch isn’t picked up by a third-party franchise like WHSmith, it could close. As a franchise, the store would still offer the same services but from a smaller counter.
A Post Office spokesperson said: ‘We are considering a range of options to reduce our central costs. This includes considering the future of our remaining Directly Managed Branches (DMBs), which are loss-making.’
The Transformation Plan notes the loss of customers and revenue for DMBs due to the popularity of rival operators like Evri and fewer people sending letters.
Post Office Chair, Nigel Railton set out the five-year plan to deliver a new deal for postmasters, estimating costs at £1.5bn.
Railton said: ‘We can, and will, restore pride in working for a business with a legacy of service, rather than one of scandal.’
The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which supported postmasters during the Post Office Horizon Scandal, called for an immediate halt to these plans and urged the company to engage with the union to protect jobs and services.
CWU released a statement saying: ‘For the company to announce the closure of hundreds of Post Offices hot on the heels of the Horizon scandal is as tone deaf as it is immoral.
It seems the Post Office has learned no lessons from its chaotic and uncoordinated mistakes of the past.’
If the Bethnal Green Post Office were to close, the nearest Post Office is at 603 Roman Road, on the other side of the road, past the market.
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There will also be increased pressure on the number 8 with residents (mainly elderly) going to the two posts offices on Bethnal Green Road. Will a risk assessment been done by TFL for off-peck travel on this route happened due to this?
Yet another failure by Starmer and co. Please sign the election petition if not already
Apparently our lovely kind mayor lutfur rahman very happy with the improvement plan by royal mail for the post office
Bethnal Green is so neglected by him so no surprise