Post Office to shut several branches in weeks amid ‘challenging economic climate’ - list of locations affected

The Post Office has announced it is closing several high street branches across the UK in the next few weeks after struggling amid the “most challenging economic climate”.

The company said that despite the closures it will relocate some sites as it recognises the pressures Postmasters face to keep sites open and “serve their local community".

The Rosehearty branch in Aberdeenshire is due to shut on 22 July and the Eaton site near Norwich, although a date for the latter has not yet been announced.

The site in West Mersea High Street in Colchester will close on 9 June before being relocated to Mersea Island Supermarket on 14 June, while the Post Office in Gilstead Lane, Bingley will shut on 10 July before moving to nearby Ferncliffe Road on 11 July.

The delivery office based within Soham Post Office is also due to close in July, with the service being moved to Ely delivery office.

The closures come after a store in Haslemere, Surrey, shut for good on 31 May and the Braintree Masefield site shut on 31 January.

A Post Office spokesperson said: "On many occasions a branch will close and sometimes just a few days later re-open at a new location under a new Postmaster.

"This is the most challenging economic climate retailers have faced in decades and we fully recognise the pressures Postmasters face to keep their branch open and serve their local community."

The Post Office has more than 11,500 sites across the country and is still opening new sites as it welcomes customers to new branches in Shropshire, West Yorkshire, Port Glasgow and London.

Listed are the post offices that will be closing down in the next few weeks.

• Eaton Post Office, Norwich
• Haselmere, Surrey
• Rosehearty, Aberdeenshire
• West Mersea High Street, Colchester - relocation
• Gilstead Lane, Bingley - relocation

High energy costs and a shift to shopping online after the pandemic is also taking its toll on many high street shops including Poundland and Marks and Spencer.

Marks and Spencer is planning to close ten more stores, with another ten set to relocate, but the retailer says it has plans to open 18 new stores over the next year.

Poundland is also set to shut its Cumbernauld store in North Lanarkshire on 11 June while two Iceland stores will be shutting for good this month, starting with its Hitchin branch on 10 June and its Beccles branch in Suffolk on 17 June.