Yahoo News 'Post Office closures are just another nail in the high street's coffin'
Regular Post Office users in Morecambe have voiced concerns after it was announced their local branch has been earmarked for closure.
Earlier this week The Post Office confirmed the proposed closure of 115 branches including two in Lancashire and two in Cumbria.
The Post Office has 11,500 branches across the UK, the majority of which are run by independent postmasters, while some are operated by external retailers. It is the Crown branches, owned directly by The Post Office, which have been earmarked for closure although they could still be transferred to other operators.
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The two Lancashire branches proposed for closure are in Poulton and Morecambe. Shoppers on the streets of Morecambe were saddened to hear their local branch might close.
Colin, who was using the cash machine outside the Morecambe branch on a rainy midweek afternoon, said he uses the Post Office on a regular basis.
"It would be a real shame if more closed," he told LancsLive. "It would be another nail in the high street's coffin."
Margaret Johnson, who pays her bills in the Morecambe branch, said it was handy for her to visit the outlet while she was doing her weekly shopping in town.
"The other thing is, if it closes down, will that just be another empty shop in Morecambe?" she asked. "We've already got a half empty town centre."
Malcolm (main image) said the loss of a Post Office branch would limit where people could access their bank accounts. "We've already lost the Midland Bank/LSBC which is now a bar," he said.
"Not everyone wants to use cash machines. They like to speak to someone direct and to have that face-to-face service. I thought the Post Office was on about taking over the demand with all these banks shutting down."
