Oldham Post office ‘busiest in Greater Manchester’ but it could still be closed

Oldham’s last remaining Crown post office is the ‘busiest in Greater Manchester’ – but it could still be closed under plans opposed by thousands of residents.

The town centre office is on the closures list drawn up by Post Office Ltd, with the services proposed to be moved into the WHSmith store in Spindles Shopping Centre.

More than 3,100 people have signed a petition which has been presented to Parliament against the franchising plans.

A meeting of Oldham’s full council on Wednesday night was told that the Lord Street post office has the highest footfall in the region.

Councillor Elaine Taylor has campaigned against the move – arguing franchising will be ‘detrimental’ for the service, staff and for residents.

She previously submitted a motion in November calling for a halt to the closures, stating: “This closure will downgrade vital services and result in the loss of a prime high street facility.”

“Post Office Ltd’s rationale from the start regarding the closures, or so we were told, was purely commercial,” she told councillors this week.

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“They wanted to ensure that they could protect the whole Crown post office network by offloading costly or underused offices.

“Well let me tell you, Oldham is neither. 

“Not only is it a profit making office, but it has the highest footfall of any office in Greater Manchester.”

A six-week consultation, which finished on February 27, asked for residents’ opinions on the plans.

Chadderton Central ward Coun Taylor believes the relocation into the shopping centre will cause ‘inconvenience’ for many, but especially for older and disabled residents.

She added: “It is hard to believe it is a meaningful consultation when WHSmith have already started advertising for counter staff in Oldham.

“I would like to emphasise that well over three thousand of our residents have signed petitions or written letters as part of the consultation, so this is not a matter that should be treated lightly.”

In February, Jim McMahon, the MP for Oldham West and Royton, presented a petition against the closure of the post office to Parliament on behalf of the borough’s three MPs.

He had previously described the franchising plans as a ‘nonsense’.

“Over 3,100 people object to the proposed closure of Oldham Crown post office and its relocation to WHSmith,” he told the House of Commons.

“Oldham post office is the borough’s last remaining post office, serving a population of 235,000 people and over 6,000 businesses and its current location is vital for the vibrancy of the market hall, and the surrounding businesses.”

Responding to the council’s opposition to the closure of the current facility, a ministerial spokesman for Greg Clark MP, Secretary of State for business, energy and industrial strategy, wrote that while publicly owned, the post office was a commercial business.

“I would like to reassure you that this government values and recognises the important role that the Post Office plays in Oldham and other communities across the UK,” they stated.

“Franchising is not a privatisation or closure programme, and the Post Office is not moving from public ownership.

“The Post Office’s proposal to franchise or host its Crown branches are part of its plans to ensure a sustainable network in the face of unprecedented change on our high streets and in consumer trends.

“Let me reassure you that, like Oldham council, WHSmith sees post offices as a central hub in the community and takes the social responsibilities that comes with this very seriously.”