The petition of residents of the constituency of Windsor,
Declares that the popular Peascod Street branch of the Post Office in central Windsor has been earmarked for potential closure, which would take away vital mail, travel, driving, identity and money services from the town centre; notes that this is at a time when the town centre faces multiple challenges, including increased car parking charges, the state of the public realm and increased business taxes; and further notes that 1,402 people have signed an online petition on this matter.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to work with the Post Office to ensure that the Peascod Street branch of the Post Office in central Windsor remains open.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Jack Rankin, Official Report, 23 April 2025; Vol. 765, c. 1174.]
[P003063]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Gareth Thomas):
I thank the petitioners for raising concerns regarding the potential closure of Windsor post office.
This decision by the Post Office to move to a fully franchised network has taken many months of careful planning on the part of the Post Office, in consultation with various stakeholders including unions and the postmaster consultative council. Despite accounting for less than 1% of the total network, directly managed branches generate significant losses for the Post Office. To address the losses these branches incur, and having reviewed all the options put forward by the unions in detail, the 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 will help in tackling the losses the DMBs incur on a sustainable basis. This is expected to result in over £100 million of savings for the company over the next five years. This aligns with the Post Office’s commitment to deliver a new deal for postmasters. The savings created by these changes will put the Post Office in a better position to increase remuneration for postmasters across the UK.
While the potential location of a post office outlet remains an operational matter for the Post Office, it may alleviate the petitioners’ concerns to learn that the Post Office intends to replace DMBs with mains branches where possible. Main branches offer similar services to DMBs. Where this is not possible, the Post Office has committed to ensure that all communities currently served by a DMB will have at least one main branch within a 1-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 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency services.
The 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, the Post Office will keep staff and customers informed about changes to individual branches as plans progress. Any decisions on staffing remain an operational matter for the Post Office, although we would expect any changes to be carried out in line with due process including engagement and consultation.