Fight to save 'vital' post office from closure

Rotherham town centre post office is at risk of closure

Councillors have said that people without internet access could be left "stranded" by the closure of a town centre post office.

The Post Office has announced that the main Rotherham branch is one of 115 "at risk" as the site on Bridgegate is loss-making.

The town has lost a number of bank branches in recent years and the post office has been described as a "vital" remaining service.

The Post Office said no decision had yet been made about the branch but added that it wanted to "strengthen" its network for the benefit of customers and postmasters.

'Really important''

Councillor Drew Tarmey said the next closest branch was at the other end of the town centre.

"Rotherham is a flagship post office located right in the town centre next to public transport links at the train and bus stations.

"It is really important for people who are not confident using online services.

"Post offices are even more important now we are seeing banks close their Rotherham branches, they are going to become banking hubs in the future."

He added: "People used to go to a local branch of their bank but when they closed down, they started going to the post office to withdraw and deposit cash to their accounts."

The Post Office has launched a new five-year plan and said it was considering a range of initiatives to "boost revenue, drive efficiency and reduce costs".

A spokesman said: "As part of this process, we are considering the future of our directly managed branches, which are loss-making. However, no decisions have been made.

"We are inviting expressions of interest to operate post offices, including Rotherham, 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."

The Liberal Democrat group of councillors have asked Rotherham Council to formally oppose the potential closure.

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