Petition launched 'to save Paignton Post Office'
It has been started by the town's former MP
Last updated 14th Nov 2024
A petition has started to save Paignton’s Crown Post Office - after it was named on a list of 115 nationally which are being closed
The petition. opposing the plan, demands 'other options are considered to avoid closing this service'. Branches in Bideford, Mutley and Teignmouth are also on the list from across Devon.
The petition was started by former Torbay MP Kevin Foster who said: “A real transformation plan would see the Post Office look more carefully at how, in a time when online shopping services and the need for assisted digital access to services is growing, their network could be at the forefront of delivering them and assisting the more vulnerable in society.
Paignton resident and local campaigner Peter Middleton added: “This news is a blow not only for the town centre, but the many who use its services.
"It is also sad to hear the team there may now face losing their roles. Instead of just axing this part of the network, I want the Post Office to better consider how they could be used to support many people who struggle with using online websites and services, including banking.”
Mr Foster added: “A strong campaign saved Torre Post Office, so I am pleased to be working with Peter to ensure the voice of Paignton people is heard on this plan as well.”
Yesterday the Government said the Post Office is "far from perfect" and needs "significant cultural change" alongside work to address commercial challenges.
Business minister Gareth Thomas said no decisions have been taken to close any of the remaining 115 directly-owned branches within the Post Office's 11,500 network, as he responded to the proposed overhaul outlined by company chairman Nigel Railton.
Mr Thomas also told the Commons: "Doing nothing at the Post Office is simply not an option."
The Post Office is looking to make changes to boost postmaster pay although some 1,000 jobs are at risk.
Making a statement to MPs, Mr Thomas said the Post Office provides "vital" banking services and he raised the importance of postmasters.
But he also pointed to the Horizon scandal which saw more than 900 subpostmasters prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts.
Mr Thomas said: "We have to recognise that the Post Office is far from perfect.
"We have seen this from evidence given at the (Post Office Horizon IT) inquiry. It's clear there needs to be significant cultural change at the Post Office to ensure it genuinely prioritises the needs of postmasters and delivers customers' needs far into the future.
"It's also clear more needs to be done to rebuild trust within the business and with the public who depend on their services.
"It's no secret too that the business is facing commercial challenges - nearly half of its branches are not profitable or only make a small profit from the Post Office business.
"Postmaster pay hasn't increased materially for a decade. The company has a high cost base and needs to transform its IT system."
After he raised Mr Railton's proposed overhaul, Mr Thomas said: "No decisions to close any or all of the remaining directly managed branches have been taken.
"The Post Office will continue to deliver on the 11,500 minimum branches requirement set by Government. We have made clear to the Post Office that we expect them to consult with postmasters, trade unions and other stakeholders before any individual decisions are taken.
"Aspects of the plan are also subject to Government funding and outcomes of the upcoming spending review."
He reiterated that the Government intends to publish a Green Paper to consult with the public on the long-term future of the Post Office, including how it should be governed after a "decade of decline".
Mr Thomas went on: "Doing nothing at the Post Office is simply not an option. There is more work to be done but there has to be change."
The Conservatives blamed the potential closures and loss of jobs on Labour's increase in employers' national insurance costs at the Budget.
Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith said: "There is a direct line of sight connecting today's announcement and the Chancellor's Budget, yet the minister did not mention that in his statement once.
"The chairman of the Post Office himself said in his speech this morning that these changes have made business more difficult for Post Office branches."
Mr Thomas replied: "It did rather sound like he was replaying his lines from the Budget speech last week. I gently say to him that I recall him being the right-hand man of Kwasi Kwarteng, who helped to do huge damage to businesses up and down our country."
Elsewhere, the minister confirmed that an appeals process to the Horizon shortfall scheme, which allows victims of the Horizon Post Office scandal to apply for compensation, will be set up early next year.
Labour MP Luke Charters (York Outer) said: "I recently met two constituents who are yet to receive compensation as former subpostmasters, I felt their pain, and I felt that their pain was being compounded by the long, drawn-out process, driving actually mental anguish for them on a daily basis.
"Can (Mr Thomas) update the House on when the appeal system to the Horizon shortfall scheme will be up and running?"
Mr Thomas replied: "We expect the appeals process we announced for the Horizon shortfall scheme to be up and running soon. Realistically, probably, early in the new year."
Post Office chairman Nigel Railton said the shake-up will also offer a "new deal for postmasters" by increasing their share of revenue and giving them a greater say in the running of the business as it looks to move on from the Horizon IT scandal that saw hundreds of subpostmasters wrongfully convicted.