Post Office confirms branch closure decision making approach

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.news.royalmailgroup.com/news ... ce_network

st Office Ltd today confirmed the approach it will take to finalising decisions regarding branch closures and other changes to existing branches following the Local Public Consultation process which is now underway in some parts of the UK.

During each public consultation significant correspondence is received from stakeholders and information arising from this correspondence is carefully considered against prescribed Government criteria and factors when final decisions are made. Additionally, Post Office Ltd has set up with Postwatch, the consumer body representing customers, a three stage review process for these decisions, with increasing seniority of the respective management teams participating in each stage, culminating in a member of Post Office Ltd’s board and the Postwatch Chair (or their appointed deputy).

Furthermore, after stage 3, Allan Leighton, Chairman of Royal Mail Group, will review any unresolved cases at the request of Postwatch.

Allan Leighton said, "Taking the decision to close any Post Office branch is always exceptionally difficult. I know it will always cause concern to many of our customers. We are absolutely committed to examining the most difficult decisions at the highest level, to make sure that all the information available has been considered and that the criteria set by the Government have been met."

Pat McFadden, Minister of State for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs, commented, "I welcome this development to Post Office Ltd’s consultation review process. Allan Leighton, as chair of the Royal Mail Group and the most senior voice in the Company, will now act as final arbiter in the case of particularly controversial and contested closure decisions which Post Office and Postwatch cannot resolve bilaterally.


This demonstrates how serious the Company is about the proper handling of what is necessarily a difficult process."

Issued by Post Office Ltd:
148 Old Street
LONDON
EC1V 9HQ
www.postoffice.co.uk

Note to editors

The criteria set by the Government are binding on Post Office Ltd. In addition, the Government has asked Post Office Ltd to give consideration to a range of specific factors in reaching decisions to ensure that the inconvenience which is inevitable for existing customers is minimised.

Government criteria to be met


Government access criteria
Does the closure/decision to outreach cause these national criteria to be breached?

Other criteria
Will the closure/decision to outreach cause the number of compensated closures to exceed 2,500?

Is the closure/decision to outreach in a postcode area which does not currently meet the Government’s criteria for accessibility

Does the closure/decision to outreach cause the population of the Area to be overall more adversely affected than the population in any other Area?

Does the closure/decision to outreach cause the population in the country to be more adversely affected than the population in any other country?

Does the closure/decision to outreach cause the number of compensated closures in Rural areas to be not broadly similar to the number of compensated closures in Urban areas or vice versa?

Does the closure/decision to outreach cause the number of compensated closures in the country areas to be not broadly similar to the number of compensated closures in any other country?



Factors to be considered

Geographical constraints
Does the presence of a river, mountain and valley, motorway or sea crossing affect access from the closure/decision to outreach to nearest alternative services such that undue hardship is imposed

Availability of public transport
Frequency, journey time, accessibility of transport for vulnerable customers, cost to customers/customer types

Local demographics
Customer usage, branch business usage profile, local population demographics

Impact on local economies
Alternative access to cash, provision of other critical services in the community, impact on local businesses relative to other branches in the local area