Theresa May calls on Post Office to avoid Cornwall branch closures by easing complex negotiations

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Prime Minister Theresa May is calling on the Post Office to avoid potential closures of rural branches in North Cornwall by making it easier for shops to take over its services.

The MP for North Cornwall, Scott Mann, says the area's rural Post Office network is "facing significant challenges" at present, which in turn is causing concern and uncertainty among local people.

Mr Mann raised his concerns about potential Post Office closures in his constituency with the Prime Minister in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

A number of communities in the constituency, including Camelford, Tintagel, St Kew Highway and St Minver, are seeing Post Office services transferred between different business premises, leading to lengthy and complex contract negotiations.

During Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Mann told Mrs May that he is concerned about a potential threat to North Cornwall's rural Post Office network and asked her to look into the issue.


"We are facing significant challenges with our rural post office network at the moment, with the transition from community branches to community village stores and community buildings," he said.

"Some of those moves have been smooth and some have not."

In response, Mrs May called on the Post Office "to help make it as easy as possible" for shops to take over postal services.

"It is right that we should recognise the role that post offices play in rural communities and not only in places such as Camelford and St Minver in his constituency, but in the constituencies of others," she said.

"We have invested more than £2billion in the network up to 2018. The number of post offices is actually at its most stable for decades. But he is absolutely right. I urge the Post Office to help make it as easy as possible for shops that want to take over postal services to be able to do so."

Mr Mann says his office has been offering support to businesses which have offered to open a Post Office, and he will also be meeting Post Office officials in Parliament next week.