Village Post Office not closing despite being up for sale, owners claim

Sandal Post Office is 'open for business as usual', its managers have insisted, despite it being put up for sale.

The branch, along with the Barnsley Road shop where it is based has been put on the market by the retailers who run the store.

However, the Post Office says there is no immediate prospect of the service being closed and that it is likely to remain open if the property changes hands.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A spokeswoman for the organisation said: “Sandal Post Office is open for business as usual. The shop from which the Post Office operates is being advertised for sale, along with the Post Office element.

“We remain committed to maintaining Post Office services to the local community throughout this process and beyond.”

Post offices on Towngate in Ossett and Ropergate in Pontefract were earmarked for closure at the beginning of 2017 as part of a nationwide programme affecting 37 branches.

The Ossett branch remains open, though it is now being run as a franchise.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Pontefract office is also still serving customers, but still at risk, with the Post Office saying they are “looking at potential long term solutions” for services in the area.

Hemsworth MP Jon Trickett said it was important that services were protected.

He said: “In recent years vital public services, such as transport, post offices and bank branches, have been disappearing at an alarming rate. For people in villages and small towns these facilities are essential to daily life.

“This is especially the case for people on low incomes, older people and disabled people, who tend to rely more on face-to-face transactions, and who are disproportionately affected by closures.

 “It is absolutely essential we have a government that will take steps to protect these services.”