LAST LETTER
‘Devastating loss’ say customers as ‘popular’ Post Office branch to close for good in HOURS
But it's not all bad news for Post Office regulars
LOCALS cried "a devastating loss" as a "popular" Post Office branch is set to shutter for good in HOURS.
Residents who rely on the Post Office location on Islingword Road, in Brighton, were devastated to hear it will be permanently waving goodbye today.
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Fans dubbed it the "hub and heart" of their community and were disappointed to see it leave after the postmaster resigned.
However, it is understood the site will reopen, under new ownership.
But there is no opening date or more information available as of yet.
One heartbroken Post Office regular vented their frustration on social media.
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They wrote: "A devastating loss it is true though, and one can only hope the local community is able to recover in time."
"That will be a great loss to the local community. It’s a popular place," added another.
A third disheartened local agreed: "Used to use this quite a lot when I lived in Brighton, way better than another much closer to where I lived. This will be a big loss indeed."
Someone else penned: "Post offices are the hub and heart of local communities. How tragic the post office scandal was and how beyond disgusting the way the postmasters were treated."
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"Terrible loss and can only hope somebody comes forward to run it. With banks shutting right left and centre to boost their obscene profits, people are now more dependent on their post office than ever before," they added.
Following the closure, residents' nearest Post Office branches are in Lewes Road, St George's Road, St James's Street and London Road, all in Brighton.
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A Post Office spokesperson said: "With a network of over 11,500 branches across the country, on certain occasions we have a Post office closing, or opening.
"We know how much customers rely on our mails and banking services.
"We are the only retailer that where possible seeks to open a new post office at the same site or close to where the previous post office was located."
It comes after the Post Office confirmed three branches would close last year, in a blow for locals.
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
The high street has seen a whole raft of closures over the past year, and more are coming.
The number of jobs lost in British retail dropped last year, but 120,000 people still lost their employment, figures have suggested.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed that 10,494 shops closed for the last time during 2023, and 119,405 jobs were lost in the sector.
It was fewer shops than had been lost for several years, and a reduction from 151,641 jobs lost in 2022.
The centre's director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said the improvement is "less bad" than good.
Although there were some big-name losses from the high street, including Wilko, many large companies had already gone bust before 2022, the centre said, such as Topshop owner Arcadia, Jessops and Debenhams.
"The cost-of-living crisis, inflation and increases in interest rates have led many consumers to tighten their belts, reducing retail spend," Prof Bamfield said.
"Retailers themselves have suffered increasing energy and occupancy costs, staff shortages and falling demand that have made rebuilding profits after extensive store closures during the pandemic exceptionally difficult."
Alongside Wilko, which employed around 12,000 people when it collapsed, 2023's biggest failures included Paperchase, Cath Kidston, Planet Organic and Tile Giant.
The Centre for Retail Research said most stores were closed because companies were trying to reorganise and cut costs rather than the business failing.
However, experts have warned there will likely be more failures this year as consumers keep their belts tight and borrowing costs soar for businesses.
The Body Shop and Ted Baker are the biggest names to have already collapsed into administration this year.
Sites were shuttered in Surrey, Aberdeenshire and Norfolk.
But it wasn't all bad news as the closures came on the back of a number of openings.
The company welcomed new branches in Shropshire, West Yorkshire, Port Glasgow and London in 2023.
The Post Office also opened a new branch in Oxfordshire just last month.
The number of Post Offices run across the UK has massively dwindled since the 1960s, when around 25,000 were in operation.
This is in part because more people started to receive benefits and pensions directly into their bank accounts, so needed the Post Office's services less.
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Post Offices also used to be the only places where you could buy postage stamps but you can now pick them up from supermarket and petrol stations.
The number of branches in operation across the UK has remained around the 11,500 mark over the last decade.
THE POST OFFICE SCANDAL - A TIMELINE OF KEY EVENTS
1999
The Horizon IT system starts to be rolled out in Post Office branches across the UK.
- 2000
Alan Bates reports issues with the Horizon IT system.
- 2003
Alan Bates has his contract terminated after refusing to accept liability for the shortfalls in the accounts at his Llandudno branch in North Wales.
- 2004
Lee Castleton, from Bridlington, East Yorkshire, was found to have a £25,000 shortfall at his branch. He was made bankrupt after he lost his legal battle with the Post Office.
- 2009
Computer Weekly magazine breaks the story of seven subpostmasters beginning their fight for justice.
The Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance is established.
- 2010
Pregnant subpostmaster Seema Misra, who ran a post office in West Byfleet, Surrey, is jailed after being accused of stealing £74,000.
- 2015
Post Office boss Paula Vennells tells the business select committee that there is no evidence of miscarriages of justice.
Post Office halts prosecutions of subpostmasters.
- 2017
Legal action is launched against the Post Office by a group of 555 subpostmasters.
- 2019
A High Court judge rules that Horizon contained a number of "bugs, errors and defects" and there was a "material risk" that shortfalls in Post Office branch accounts were caused by the system.
The Post Office agreed to pay out £58million to the 555 subpostmasters.
Post Office boss Paula Vennells is appointed a CBE.
- 2020
The Post Office does not oppose 44 appeals against convictions of subpostmasters.
- 2021
A statutory inquiry looking into the failings of the Horizon system and the wrongful convictions of subpostmasters begins.
The Court of appeal quashes 39 wrongful crown court convictions.
- 2023
The Government announces that every wrongly convicted subpostmaster will be offered £600,000 in compensation.
- 2024
ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office airs for the first time.
The Metropolitan Police say they are looking at "potential fraud offences arising out of these prosecutions", for example "monies recovered from subpostmasters as a result of prosecutions or civil actions".
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