PO operators warned £1.34 billion will be wasted

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Britain's post office operators warned that £1.34 billion investment will be wasted unless more is done to save country's high streets

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Britain's post office operators have warned that a £1.34 billion investment will be wasted unless more is done to save the country’s high streets.

The unprecedented rate of shop closures could leave post offices isolated and with few customers, according to a report sent to MPs on the Business Select Committee.

It is holding an inquiry into the state of our high streets and has received views from a host of retailers and others interested groups including the National Federation of SubPostmasters, which covers the vast majority of Britain 11,800 post offices.

The Federation’s report said: ‘As well as being of enormous importance to the economy and to communities, the decline of the high street is a critical issue for the post office network.

‘The Government is currently putting considerable resources into the post office network, including a major restructuring and a £1.34 billion funding package. However, proposals for the Post Office will never fully succeed unless the Government also deals with the problems facing the high street.’

Retailers are under pressure from the slowdown in consumer spending and fierce competition from the internet.
Town centre stores that typically face higher business rates are bearing the brunt of the closures.

Allying itself with small shopkeepers, the Federation report argues that the business rates system unfairly burdens smaller concerns and provides ‘a hidden subsidy for the big retailers’, who are usually based in low-cost retail parks.

The four-year package of spending to overhaul post offices has been described by Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells as a ‘once in a generation opportunity’.

The Federation wants MPs to impose a ‘large retailers levy’ to rebalance competition and create funds to reinvest in local economies.
Subpostmasters also fear that if the Government privatises Royal Mail it could reduce its use of traditional post offices.

[subbie]

The NFSP are now reaping what they sowed, they sold their soul to the devil, now see how they whinge and whine.

They're going down !

Subbie