St Albans MP challenges Post Office bosses over unclear closure plans
Up to 115 branches are at risk of closing, including one in the heart of St Albans
The Liberal Democrat MP for St Albans has criticised Post Office bosses for their lack of transparency and failure to provide clear service guarantees amid uncertainty over the future of the St Peter’s Street Post Office branch.
Speaking about the issue, Daisy Cooper MP highlighted the importance of the post office to the community, and said: "We have a fantastic post office on St Peter Street in St Albans.
"It's right at the heart of our community. It's next to our award-winning market in the centre of a vibrant High Street that has food and drink festivals and all sorts of other."
She expressed frustration over the Post Office’s decision-making process, which she described as lacking clarity and transparency.
"I had a meeting with post office bosses the other day. It was a cross-party meeting of MPs. All of us in different political parties expressed our complete exasperation that they had published the criteria against which they were going to decide whether to keep some of the post offices, possibly close them or possibly change the format," she said.
Ms Cooper was among a group of cross-party MPs who questioned Post Office executives in a 90-minute meeting earlier this month, where they criticised the decision to invite expressions of interest from potential sub-postmasters without first outlining what services they would be expected to provide.
In response to the meeting, Ms Cooper said, "This was yet another infuriating meeting with Post Office bosses where they failed to answer the questions we put to them, and couldn’t guarantee that there won’t be a reduction in service."
She further criticised the lack of criteria against which the post office closures or changes would be assessed, adding, "without those criteria, MPs are unable to engage in a meaningful conversation about getting the best deal for our residents."
According to Ms Cooper, the Post Office has stated that all sites at risk of closure, including the St Peter’s Street branch, have received expressions of interest from potential sub-postmasters. However, she raised concerns that these applications could be unsuccessful if applicants were later unable to meet undefined service requirements.
“At the same time, the Post Office still intends to continue with setting the criteria in early March and then judging the bids against them in the same month,” she said. “Having sat on their hands for the last two months, it’s simply unacceptable that they now intend to charge ahead in a matter of weeks, without discussion of what the post office service on offer could look like.”
Ms Cooper and other MPs have called on the Post Office to provide clear service requirements before proceeding with any changes.
A Post Office spokesperson said:
“No decision has been made about any Directly Managed Post Office branch. We fully recognise the strong feelings Ms Cooper and other MPs have regarding their Post Office. We have met with MPs that have a Directly Managed Branch on two occasions including Ms Cooper and have shared data relating to St Peter’s Street Post Office with her directly.
“Post Office has launched a new, five-year Transformation Plan that will deliver a New Deal for Postmasters, putting them at the heart of the business. To realise the Plan, Post Office is considering a range of initiatives to boost revenue, drive efficiency and reduce costs. As part of this process, we are considering the future of our Directly Managed Branches (DMBs), which are loss making.
“We invited expressions of interest to operate Post Offices in all remaining DMB locations, including St Peters Street in St Albans, to gauge market interest and explore whether franchising could be a viable option. We will review all responses, sharing the results with relevant trade unions and other stakeholders.
“We want to ensure that we make the best decisions for the future of each of our DMBs, helping to strengthen the network for the benefit of customers and postmasters.”