Villagers in Dobcross have been left “disgusted” by sudden changes to the community's post box.
The post box, which stands outside the community-run Dobcross Village Store and Post Office, was sealed up on Monday (July 28), in order to be converted into a new digital post box.
As the Village Store and Post Office currently receives commission fees when the customers come in to post parcels, members of the management committee have expressed concern about what this will mean for the future of the store.
Just over a year ago, Dobcross villagers came together to save the shop and Post Office and it is now run as a co-operative.
Manager Tim Newbold, 65, told The Oldham Times that the fees from parcels are “fundamental to keeping the store going”.
He said: “I know they are all small fees, but when you add them all up, it's quite a lot.
“Most of the village has paid in to save the Post Office and Village Store and this is taking it away from them again really.
“The remuneration we get from the Post Office makes a huge difference.”
Mr Newbold is also disappointed at the lack of warning Dobcross Village Store and Post Office had about the changes to the post box.
He said: “We knew nothing about it at all. I know they trialled it down south somewhere last year, and I did ring up the Post Office yesterday as they were doing it and asked what was going on and they said they had no idea it was being done yesterday.
“There's not a lot the Post Office can do as it's Royal Mail that has done it.”
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Dobcross Village Store and Post Office has informed customers of the post box changes via a Facebook post, in which they have asked people to still consider sending parcels in store once the new digital box is up and running.
The post read: “While this new box will allow customers to post parcels directly, the fees from those transactions will go to Royal Mail, not to our community-owned shop and post office.
“We’re kindly asking all our customers to continue bringing parcels and letters into the post office counter as you do now. This way, your support directly helps keep our shop and services running.
“We’ve raised our concerns with the Post Office, but as the box is Royal Mail’s property, they are unable to intervene. This is yet another example of a vital local service being quietly taken away from communities like ours.”
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Customers of the store and Post Office have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the changes.
Moran Gwenn said: "Unbelievable but don’t worry, will still come inside to post."
Vicky Lou said: "Digital post box, I'll be giving that a miss then! I only post items when the post office is open anyway so will continue the same!"
Amanda Shepherdson said: "This is disgusting, more heritage lost."
Dobcross Village Store and Post Office (Image: Ken Bennett)
The new post boxes have already been trialled in locations in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire and have been brought in as a way of adapting to customers’ changing needs.
According to an Ofcom report from January 2025, around 6.6 billion letters are sent per year the UK, which is significantly lower that 20 years ago when around 20 billion letters were sent each year.
It adds that Royal Mail has predicted this figure will drop further to four billion in the coming years.
In a statement announcing the new parcel boxes in April, Emma Gilthorpe, CEO at Royal Mail, said: “In making this historic change to our postboxes, our goal is to maximise choice and convenience for our customers.
"In an era where letter volumes continue to decline and parcels are booming, we are giving our iconic postboxes a new lease of life on street corners across the nation."
Parcel boxes are different from traditional boxes in that they have a separate, larger parcel hatch, which customers can access by scanning a barcode. They also have black solar panels on top to power them.
This change in appearance is also of concern to Mr Newbold and the committee, who say that the design is not “in keeping” with the village’s heritage and position within a conservation area.
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What’s more, the solar panels will also interfere with another village tradition.
As the post explains: “Sadly, this change also means we won’t be able to decorate the post box as we have in the past. Our last post box topper was lovingly knitted by a wonderful volunteer who has since passed away.
“It’s a small but heartfelt loss.”
The post box's conversion is expected to take three weeks. It will still be able to take letters, as well as parcels.
Letters can also still be posted inside Dobcross Village
In response to The Oldham Times' request for comment, a Royal Mail spokesperson said: "Our new postboxes of the future offer another convenient way for customers in Dobcross and elsewhere to access Royal Mail's services.
"They accept larger parcels than standard postboxes and offer digital proof of posting via the Royal Mail app."
More information about parcel boxes can be found on the Royal Mail website.