The people who would be ‘left behind’ by Prestwich Post Office closure

Despite being as bustling as always, the mood in the branch is sombre.

The Kingswood Road site is one of eight in Greater Manchester that are at risk of closure.

Bosses are looking to offload 115 directly-owned Crown Post Offices in the 11,500 branch network – either by transferring them to retail partners or postmasters, or closing them down.

But the prospect of their nearest branch possibly shutting its doors has left many locals feeling angry and alone.

Prestwich Post Office (Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)

One elderly lady teared up when asked how she felt about the potential closure.

Linda, 75, a Prestwich local, relies on the Post Office for banking and paying her bills and claims she’d have to travel as far as Bury if the branch closed.

“I’m bloody livid,” she said.

“I’m 75. I’m disabled. Every single bank in Prestwich has shut down.

"Because I’m disabled, I don’t have a car anymore. I’m so furious I’m nearly crying.”

And Barbara Castle, 84, also felt "dead upset" about the potential change.

She said: “It’s not fair at my age to be running here, there and everywhere. I can’t grasp all this technology anymore.

"It’s all going too fast for me.”

Barbara Castle

Seven other Greater Manchester branches – Didsbury, Barnes Green in Harpurhey, Eccles, Hyde, Leigh, Stockport town centre and Salford precinct – are also among those under threat.

And across the region, there’s a feeling that it’s especially older people and those with lower levels of digital literacy who would be "left out on a limb".

But it’s not just pensioners who would be inconvenienced.

Colin, 66, is worried about the impact on his records shop, Beatin’ Rhythm, which has been in Prestwich since 2015.

He says uses the Post Office five times a week to post record orders to his customers.

“If the Post Office disappears, our business is gone,” he said glumly.

Colin's business would suffer if the Post Office shut down, says the Prestwich business owner.

And 29-year-old Dominic, who doesn’t drive and works from home, said people would have to travel "massive distances" for services.

He said he uses the Post Office "all the time" to collect and drop off parcels.

“I don’t know where I’d do that,” he said.

Still others simply feel that it’s indicative of the gradual decline of their high streets and neighbourhoods.

And Mrs Smith, 64, suggested it was "another kick in the teeth for Prestwich".

“All we’re going to end up with is bars and restaurants,” she said.

The changes at Crown Post Office-owned branches are part of a wider shake-up, which would include the loss of hundreds of roles across the business.

According to the company’s chairman Nigel Railton, the plans will secure a “new deal for postmasters”.

The reshuffle would increase postmaster’s share of revenue and give them a greater say in the running of the business, as the company looks to move on from the Horizon IT scandal that saw hundreds of sub postmasters wrongfully convicted.

The plans, which are subject to government funding, would see average branch pay doubled by 2030, with £120m in additional pay by the end of the first year.

A spokesperson added that the business is "considering a range of options to reduce our central costs" which included "considering the future of our remaining directly managed branches, which are loss-making".

They also claimed to be "in dialogue with the unions" and that "no announcement" regarding the locations of closures had been made.

The Post Office insisted that it aims to franchise the branches or transfer ownership to other parties, such as its network of retail partners.

Retailers such as WH Smith, Tesco, Morrisons and the Co-Op operate around 2,000 Post Offices across the country. The rest of the network – about 9,000 Post Offices – are operated by independent postmasters.

But the public outcry against the possible changes has been immense, with local councillors and MPs speaking out against the decision.

The Prestwich Labour Group has launched an online petition to "call to the Post Office" to recognise how the residents and small businesses of the village "depend on" the branch.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) union has also called on the Post Office to halt the plans and on the government to intervene.

CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: “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..

“CWU members are victims of the Horizon scandal – and for them to now fear for their jobs ahead of Christmas is yet another cruel attack.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said the government is already "in active discussion" with Mr Railton regarding the future of the Post Office network.