Devon postmasters demand more help from the Post Office to stay open

Sub-postmasters in Devon said selling other items is helping keep their Post Offices solvent

Postmasters and postmistresses in Devon have said they need more support from the Post Office in order to keep their businesses viable, and to continue serving their communities.

Several in the county said the current remuneration package is not sufficient.

Some have diversified to sell other products, or linked to other businesses in order to stay open.

The Post Office said its focus is on driving footfall and improving the profitability of all its branches.

According to research from the House of Commons Library published on 7 February, about 99% of Post Office branches are run by franchise partners or sub-postmasters.

As part of a remuneration package, a fee is paid to postmasters for every Post Office transaction - such as selling stamps and travel money.

While the Post Office said it could not provide details of the remuneration fees due to commercial reasons, the BBC understands these range from 3p to about £1.50 depending on the transaction.

'I won't leave them in the lurch'

Tina Debenham, who has run Elburton's Post Office for 15 years, said running the business is hard due to how low some of the remuneration fees are.

While she admitted it is difficult to make a living, Mrs Debenham - who also runs mobile Post Office services in areas including Rattery and Cornwood - said she was determined to keep running the shop in that area of Plymouth.

"You do it because you love the job and you do it because this community cannot afford to not have a Post Office and I won't leave them in the lurch," she said.

Tina Debenham said she keeps running Elburton's Post Office because she wants to help the community

Colin Arthurs has run Bridestowe's Post Office inside a general shop in the west Devon village along with his wife Michaela since January 2018.

He said while Post Office bosses claim having a branch will help increase footfall, it is the takings from the shop that enable him to pay his bills.

Mr Arthurs said: "We don't want to lose the Post Office, the village doesn't want to lose the Post Office, but you have to make it financially viable."

Colin Arthurs has run Bridestowe's Post Office since 2018

In Moretonhampstead, the Post Office is run by Sue Boulton, who also owns the Baskerville ice cream parlour and coffee shop in the Dartmoor town.

She and her partner Colin Lloyd bought the building in 2022, a couple of years after the Post Office had closed down there.

Sue Boulton says an ice cream parlour she runs helps sustain the Post Office in Moretonhampstead

Ms Boulton said it was important for the town to have its Post Office back, but without the ice cream parlour, it would not be sustainable.

"It doesn't pay for itself if we were opening just as a Post Office," Ms Boulton, who uses a room in the building to help store and make ice cream, said.

'Important social value'

A Post Office spokesperson said the current financial climate was "challenging" and they understood postmasters have been dealing with cost rises.

They added the Post Office is committed to increasing the share of income going to postmasters, with a recent review announcing a package of £26m in remuneration improvements for this financial year.

"Our focus has been and continues to be on driving footfall to our branches and improving branch profitability," the spokesperson said.

They added: "In particularly rural and remote areas, there is insufficient footfall for a post office branch to be viable on its own, however, it nevertheless delivers important social value to the local community."