'Devastating for everyone': all these Lancashire post offices are closing this week

Nine Lancashire Post Office services will close this week - and there is no indication of when, or even if, they will ever reopen.

The branch at Burscough Bridge is shutting its doors indefinitely on Wednesday afternoon (22nd May) for what the Post Office has described as “operational reasons”.

However, the closure will have a knock-on effect across West Lancashire and beyond, because the Liverpool Road North outlet also delivers part-time ‘outreach services’ in places that do not have a fully-fledged Post Office facility.

It means that the shutters will also come down on satellite branches - which usually operate from community buildings for just a few hours a week - in Rufford, Banks, Moss, Bescar Lane and Haskayne, all in West Lancashire; Salesbury in Ribble Valley; Belmont, in Blackburn with Darwen; and Trawden, in Pendle. Three other outreach units outside of Lancashire will also be affected.

An alternative to the Burscough Bridge branch can be found just under a mile away on Square Lane. However, users of several of the Lancashire outreach facilities will have to travel between two and almost four miles to find a Post Office counter - some of which provide fewer services than those that are closing.

The Post Office says it will “continue to work hard to restore services in the area as soon as possible” - and has also appealed for “potential retail partners interested in running a branch locally” to come forward.

An advert on the Post Office website suggests that any replacement in Burscough Bridge would be co-located with another business, rather than reopening as a standalone shop.

It states that the Post Office is seeking to integrate its services “into a vibrant and sustainable retail [operation], so they can be offered over the same opening hours”. There is no mention of the provision of outreach facilities as part of the proposal.

Rick Edwards, who represents the Burscough and Rufford division on Lancashire County Council, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the shock closures would be "devastating for everybody”.

“I think they just think [people will use] these boxes where people can take parcels - but the Post Office isn't just about that, is it? People use it for banking and it's the hub of the social community,” County Cllr Edwards said.

He claimed that a cut in the amount of money postmasters could make from handling parcels meant “nobody can make a living” from the role anymore.

“Craig [the Burscough Bridge postmaster] has been a part of this community for years - and he's a genuinely nice guy.

“And who’s to say that the Post Office on Square Lane will remain open [in the long term]?” County Cllr Edwards asked.

Meanwhile, West Lancashire MP Ashley Dalton has written to Post Office chief executive Mark Brocklehurst, calling for details of "interim arrangements, expected timescales” - and how he intends to ensure “continued access to the full range of services that local people and businesses depend upon”.

She added that she had been contacted by a large number of constituents and local businesses who are “deeply unhappy about the loss of this important community service”

“Many have outlined the practical difficulties that the closure will create, particularly for those who rely on easy access to postal services, banking facilities, bill payments and other essential services provided through the Post Office network,” Ms. Dalton explained.

The LDRS approached the Post Office for comment.

The advert for a Post Office operator in Burscough Bridge states that annual fees for the arrangement are estimated to be between £45,000 and £75,000.

The exact layout and design of the premises “will be agreed with you to suit your business”, it adds.

The full list of alternative branches for each of the nine closing services can be found here.