Policy reforms to safeguard UK high street presence for decades to come
Post Office has proposed a package of policy reforms in response to the Government Green Paper consultation on the future of the business. As part of Post Office’s submission, we’ve set out an ambitious vision to revitalise UK high streets, drive economic growth and modernise our public service role.
For almost four centuries, Post Office has been part of the everyday fabric of British life – from our origins in 1660 as the original social network, to our well-established role today in banking, parcels and essential services. Yet history teaches us one thing clearly: Post Office has never stood still. We have always adapted to the needs of our customers and communities – and now, more than ever, we must do so again.
The Government’s Green Paper on Future of Post Office is the first major review of Post Office policy in fifteen years. A lot has happened in this time: digital technologies have transformed how we shop, transact and communicate; high streets have changed beyond recognition, accelerated by the pandemic; and the Horizon IT scandal exposed deep injustices which harmed postmasters and damaged public trust. The lessons of the past weigh heavily on us and remind us that any vision for the future of Post Office must put customers and communities first – something we can only achieve through building new relationship with our postmasters and partners.
Today, Post Office generates £6.5 billion in social value and £4.7 billion in economic impact every year. And behind those numbers are thousands of stories of postmasters going above and beyond for their communities.
We have already begun work to safeguard our business for the next generation, including through our five-year Transformation Plan. Our ambitions are clear.
- To deliver enhanced services for communities, in person and online
- To transform the proposition for postmasters and partners – increasing their income, strengthening their voice, and giving them the tools they need to thrive
- To achieve lasting financial stability, reducing reliance on government funding while protecting a nationwide network
There are positive early signs of progress: the new Banking Framework will extend vital cash services into the 2030s; Postmasters are receiving an £86 million uplift in remuneration – the biggest in years while sentiment among postmasters is also improving.
However, we cannot be complacent, and the future is not guaranteed. That is why we’re asking government to join us in setting out a bold, long-term policy framework through this consultation.
Our key asks are straightforward:
- Extend Post Office’s offer to customers: Expand the role of post offices as one-stop-shops for a range of needs, from enhanced banking services through to more support for small businesses.
- Enhance Post Office’s role in government service delivery: Make post offices the trusted place for essential government services, like digital identity or pharmacy prescription collection.
- Protect the network: Maintain nationwide coverage through the Access Criteria and the 11,500-branch requirement to safeguard access for rural and urban communities alike.
- Recognise Post Office’s social value: Explore a tailored business rates and relief package for post offices given the unique social contribution that branches deliver in communities, estimated to be worth £6.5 billion each year.
- Create a flexible policy framework: Ensure Post Office and its network of branches can evolve over the next decade as consumer demands change.
The opportunity now is to match the business’s commercial transformation with a bold policy vision that lasts beyond 2030. We are seeking to build a Post Office that is fit for the next generation: one that is sustainable, one that is digital and in-person, one that is customer-driven, and one that never forgets that postmasters are the beating heart of our business.
Neil Brocklehurst, Post Office CEO: “I look forward to working with our postmasters, partners, customers and Government as we continue to transform this vital organisation and I’m confident we will see a strong and vibrant Post Office network across the UK for decades to come.”
You can read Post Office’s response in full here.