News: Rotherham's main Post Office in closure threat

Rotherham’s Crown Post Office branch is at risk of closure as company bosses confirm that it is moving to a fully franchised network.

As of March 2024, there were 11,805 post office branches in the UK and the Post Office said that it is committed to maintaining around 11,500 branches.

Most are standard agency branches (run by a franchise partner or sub-postmaster) whilst the number of Crown (directly managed) branches has fallen significantly over recent decades.

Crown branches tend to offer a wider range of services. In Rotherham this includes a Digital Check & Send service for new passports and renewals, SIA Licence Applications, in branch ID verification, and DVLA photocard renewal.

Rothbiz reported that a partner was being sought for the branch on Bridgegate in Rotherham town centre back in 2017 but it has remained serving the town since.

Now bosses have said that the last 108 which are operated by the Post Office will be franchised by the autumn, subject to Government funding. If no partner can be found, it is likely the branch will close.

The Post Office says that directly managed branches generate a fully allocated loss (including central and support costs) of over £40m each year.

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Nigel Railton, Post Office Chair, said: “Moving to a fully franchised network is one part of enabling the Post Office to deliver a ‘New Deal for Postmasters’, helping to create a long-term, sustainable future for the Post Office. By franchising these branches, we are protecting access to our services for communities right across the UK and realising £40m worth of savings that will enable us to uplift postmasters’ remuneration by up to 10%.

“Over the coming months, we will continue to work with our unions to ensure that we treat our staff working in these 108 branches with care and respect through this transition, consulting with them on proposed changes. The 108 Post Offices will either stay in the same location where possible or be located close to the existing location, meaning customers will continue to have access to a full suite of products and services.”

Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, said: "Rotherham’s Crown Post Office branch offers vital services and is relied upon by people in our town. With businesses increasingly cutting their high street presence, Post Offices have become ever more vital community hubs, providing many services, such as in person banking, that would otherwise be out of reach for many.

“I am very clear that the best possible option for my constituents is for the existing branch to be saved and have called on Post Office Ltd. to do so. However, should they proceed with closure, it is essential that any replacement franchise offers a full range of Government services and is centrally located in Rotherham town centre.

"Many of my constituents, particularly older people would be left unable to access vital services if they cannot do so at a Post Office branch. With public transport links sorely lacking, any move away from the town centre would be unthinkable.

"I have urged Post Office Ltd. and the Government to safeguard this vital resource and will continue to fight to ensure my constituents can access the services on which they depend.”

Rotherham councillors carried a motion in January to oppose the potential closure.

Post Office website

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News: Rotherham's first Banking Hub opens

A town in Rotherham left without a bank branch has seen services return with the opening of a new Banking Hub which could also boost the vitality of the area.

Ealier this year LINK, the UK’s Cash Access and ATM network, announced the addition of a new hub in Dinnington. The announcement followed a request from former MP, Alexander Stafford.

A planning application was submitted in September by Cash Access UK Limited for new signage at 31-33 Laughton Road, a former pharmacy.

The hubs are dedicated places where communities can access everyday personal and business banking services, such as withdrawing and depositing cash easily, or paying in cheques, over the counter. Owned by Cash Access UK, funded by the banks, and run by the Post Office, they're a way of bringing back banking to the people and areas that need it.

Each Banking Hub has a counter operated by the Post Office where customers can access services such as paying in cash and cheques, withdrawing cash and paying bills.

Representatives, called community bankers, from the major banks are available on different days. For Dinnington, Mondays are for NatWest, Tuesdays for Halifax, Wednesdays - Santander, Thursdays - HSBC, and Fridays - Barclays. Customers of all major banks and building societies can access cash services from the Post Office counter service, whenever the hub is open.

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Gareth Oakley, CEO, Cash Access UK: “Thanks to the exceptional industry collaboration from the banks who support us, I’m delighted that in a such short space of time we have been able to successfully open 100 banking hubs.

"Our hubs are proving extremely popular which shows that access to cash and banking services remains vital for millions of individuals across the UK, despite more people choosing to bank and make payments digitally. We're delighted to have reached this latest milestone and will continue our work to bring more of these services to the communities that need them most.”

Tulip Siddiq, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, added: "We are delighted to see the continued growth of banking hubs, which are playing an essential role in meeting the needs of communities where traditional banking options have declined.

"These hubs are not only vital for residents and businesses, but they also play a key role in revitalising our high streets, bringing footfall back to town centres, and repurposing unused buildings for community benefit.

"The success of these hubs proves that shared banking services can provide a solution that benefits everyone, from residents to local businesses."

Cash Access UK has undertaken new research to understand how the opening of the banking hubs have improved local high streets. Focussing on Brixham (Devon) and Rochford (Essex), two of the earliest hubs to open, the feedback is overwhelmingly positive with three in ten people saying they visit and spend more on the local high street because of the hub. Almost half (47%) of businesses surveyed said they have experienced an increase in footfall thanks to the banking hub. This is despite the fact that, UK wide, weekday footfall has fallen 18% compared with pre-Covid levels.

In Wath, also in Rotherham, a new temporary Banking Hub officially opened its doors in Montgomery Hall in September. It is expected that a permanent site will be found in the £9m library redevelopment.

Cash Access website

Images: Cash Access

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News: Auction date for Rotherham Post Office building

It was put at risk of closure for a year and a half ago and now the building which is home to a Post Office in the centre of Rotherham is up for sale.

Rothbiz reported in January 2017 that Rotherham's central Post Office on Bridgegate was named in a list of Crown branches at risk of closure. A partner was being sought to keep the branch open.

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Now the freehold of the 3,995 sq ft property at 3/5 Bridgegate has been submitted for dale at auction with leading auctioneers, Acuitus.

It has been given a guide price of £290,000 for the auction in London next week.

The property forms part of Cascades Shopping Centre and currently trades as Post Office & Stationery by WH Smith. Sale documents show that Post Office Ltd pays £30,000 a year, signing a four year lease from December 2017 - 11 months after it was named at risk of closure.

Across Bridgegate, the property at number 18 is also up for sale at auction.

The 4,400 sq ft property currently trades as bookmakers, Betfrod on the ground floor with a beauty salon above and brings in £56,346.96 a year in rent.

It has been given a guide price of £425,000 - £450,000 by auctioneers, Allsop.

Rothbiz reported last week that the large former Primark store on Rotherham's High Street was also up for sale at auction.

Acuitus website
Allsop website

Images: Allsop / Acuitus

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News: Council asked to fight for future of Rotherham Post Office

Rotherham Council is being asked to call on the Post Office and Government to reverse a decision that puts Rotherham's central branch at risk of closure.

Post Office confirmed in January that it would be seeking partners for 37 of its directly managed branches as part of its efforts to secure its services in communities around the UK for the long term.

A partner has been sought for the Crown branch on Bridgegate in the town centre but if none can be found, the branch is likely to close. Local councillors are concerned that there are limited options for a franchise partner.

Across the UK, Post Office services are being relocated into retail stores. The Bridgegate branch has been modernised in recent years with the addition of self-service machines and retail space for WH Smith stationery.

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A motion is being put forward at the next full council meeting to call on the Council to write to the Post Office and Government outlying concerns. The motion is being put forward by Cllr. Taiba Yasseen and seconded by Cllr. Saghir Alam, who both represent the Boston Castle Ward which covers the town centre.

The motion reads:

That this Council notes the recent announcement to close Rotherham Post Office on Bridgegate, unless it can be franchised with a partner.

We call on the Post Office and Government to reverse this decision. We are concerned there are limited options for a franchise partner in town, meaning a closure is likely if this route is pursued.

The Post Office network has been reduced by more than 50% over the past 30 years and this is a step too far. Rotherham Post Office is very well used and the decision would be detrimental to customers. As a Crown Post Office it provide services that are not available elsewhere for example, with regards to driving licenses and passports, these would be a big loss to residents in Rotherham.

We call on the council to write to the Post Office and Government outlying our concerns and encourage all members to sign and promote the petition against this decision.

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News: Partner sought for Rotherham Post Office

Rotherham's central Post Office in the town centre has been named in the latest list of Crown branches at risk of closure.

Post Office confirmed that it would be seeking partners for 37 of its directly managed branches as part of its efforts to secure its services in communities around the UK for the long term. This is in addition to 93 previously announced during the course of the last calendar year, nearly half of which have now successfully relocated into retail stores.

A partner is now being sought for the branch on Bridgegate in the town centre. If none can be found, the branch could close.

A second Post Offices on Wellgate is not part of the Crown network and offers less services.

The Bridgegate branch has been modernised in recent years with the addition of self-service machines and retail space for WH Smith stationery.

Rothbiz reported in October on the partnership between Heron Foods and Post Office which ensured that a branch remains in Dinnington.

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Roger Gale, sales and trade marketing director at Post Office, said: "We're committed to maintaining the Post Office's special place on the high street and the changes we are making underpin our continued commitment to give communities in every part of the country access to essential services.

"The Post Office's network of more than 11,600 branches is easily the largest in the UK, with 17 million customer visits a week. The vast majority of these branches are run with partners, and in the locations announced today we believe this will also be a more sustainable approach for the long term. With consumer habits changing, and the high cost of maintaining premises in prime high street locations, franchising helps us to keep services where our customers want and need them.

"We will take time to identify the right partners over the coming months and all proposals will be subject to local consultation.

"Post Office has a strong record of supporting people through change and we will be keeping affected staff fully informed as we develop our plans."

By franchising the Crown Post Offices to local businesses, the Communication Workers Union has estimated that 300 jobs will be lost nationwide.

Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, said: "The Government has made the announcement of closures before even responded to a consultation it held on the Post Office last year which is totally unacceptable.

"The Crown Post Office in Rotherham provides vital services like passport renewal and driving licence verification, which will be difficult for to people to access elsewhere.

"Rotherham deserves better. The closures can only be seen as a systematic attack on our local services at a time Government should be investing in our infrastructure, not stripping it away."

Post Office website

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News: Heron Foods gets stamp of approval

Yorkshire retailer Heron Foods has unwrapped the latest site in its partnership with the Post Office which ensures that a branch remains in Dinnington, Rotherham.

Having opened a new store in the former Eastwood Hotel pub earlier this year, the provider of top quality food products at the lowest possible prices, has officially opened its Dinnington store which also includes a co-located Post Office.

The opening of the Post Office has secured three part-time positions, with staff transferring from the former branch that closed down. The new branch is part of a programme of modernisation and investment across the Post Office network.

Mike Igoe, commercial director at Heron Foods, said: "We understand how important having a Post Office is to the residents of Dinnington. We're pleased that it's Heron Foods who is bringing back all of the benefits of Post Office counter services to the local community. The addition of a Post Office inside our Dinnington store, will make it easier for working people to access services, and they will be able to pick up plenty of Heron deals at the same time."

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Kenny Lamont, Network Operations Area Manager at the Post Office, added: "This is the fourth Post Office that has opened within Heron Foods. Our new partnership with this leading discount food retailer works really well. This conveniently located new branch, which is open seven days a week and with long opening hours, makes it easy for customers to get their cash, send and collect their mail and do their banking because we know how important these services are to local residents. We are confident that this vibrant new-style Post Office at the heart of the local community will meet customer needs and safeguard Post Office services in Dinnington for the future."

The rapidly growing East Yorkshire-based business was established in 1979 and now operates 240 stores. With increasing competition in the discount food market, Heron Foods Ltd posted turnover of £253m for the year up to December 25 2015, compared with £255m in the previous year.

With a strong presence in High Street locations, district centres and busy secondary locations in all towns in the North of England and the Midlands, the company said it has a strong pipeline for new store openings and expects to open in excess of 20 new and relocated stores in 2016.

Heron Foods website

Images: Heron Foods

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