Banking hubs should offer postal services to compensate for the closure of crown Post Office branches, MPs have said, as they criticised how the proposed shutting of sites has been handled. The Commons heard that some banking hubs, run by the Post Office, had spaces to offer extra services but their remit had not been extended.
It came amid months where banks have announced the closure of high street branches, the Post Office said it could shut 115 of its Government-owned crown branches, and WH Smith, which is responsible for running some Post Office franchises, announced it was putting 500 of its high street stores up for sale.
Banking hubs were set up by the previous Conservative government to counter the dwindling number of high street banks, but the agreement between banks – who fund the initiative – and the Post Office does not allow them to offer postal services. Liberal Democrat MP Gideon Amos (Taunton and Wellington) said offering more services could help keep people’s access to cash and support the postal service.
He told the debate on the future of local post offices: “There’s an obvious and straightforward solution. “We should be allowing banking hubs to offer postal services. There’s no fundamental reason why they can’t. They already have Post Office tills, Post Office systems, and they’re run by postmasters, they’re staffed by Post Office staff.
