Guidelines and Best Practice for the Provision of a Hosted Post office® Service in Churches and Chapels
Introduction
There are currently over 14,000 post offices across the UK but many of these are no longer viable businesses. The increasing use of online services, email, phone and internet banking has meant that some 4 million fewer people are using their post office each week. However, the government has recognised that the post office network is an essential key service and has been supporting it via a subsidy for several years. An overall funding package of up to £1.7 billion to maintain a national network, and to help Post Office Ltd make necessary changes to transform the network and put it on a stable footing for the future, was recently agreed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) until 2011.
Post Office Ltd is currently implementing this Network Change Programme (NCP), which will result in major changes, including the likely closure of 2,500 post offices, with around 500 of these being replaced by ‘hosted' post office services. The Cathedral and Church Buildings Division of the Church of England, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church have been working closely with Post Office Ltd to seek to identify opportunities for church buildings to host such services in order to maintain their presence, particularly in isolated rural communities. This work has produced Guidelines and Best Practice for the Provision of a Hosted Post Office® Service in Churches and Chapels.
If you are considering whether, in principle, you would like to host an outreach post office if the opportunity was presented, then these guidelines will help this process and list the issues you will need to consider, including security and changes to the fabric of the church.
Further support is available from the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) which has developed Rural Service Support, an on-line service that provides information and advice to rural communities considering alternative models of delivering post office services. Access to the service is through their website (www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk) or direct to www.expertsonline.org.uk/rssupport.
In addition many Rural Community Councils are now developing toolkits for communities who want to set up post office services/and or community shop. For example, this one has been produced by the Wiltshire RCC, Community First - http://www.rural-shops-alliance.co.uk/images/PostPont%20Wiltshire%20release.pdf
The implementation of the NCP has already started in some areas with the publication of the first set of National Area Plans. The UK has been divided into approximately 50 areas. Each area will be included in an Area Plan detailing the changes Post Office Ltd are proposing for that area. Each Area Plan will undergo 6 weeks of local public consultation before a final decision is made by Post Office Ltd. Prior to the commencement of local public consultation, each Area Plan will be subject to a twelve-week intensive pre-consultation process, which should include a substantial amount of local stakeholder engagement, including with the churches where appropriate.
The whole of the NCP is due to be implemented by October 2008. This timetable and other information can be found by going to www.postoffice.co.uk and clicking on the news item marked Network change update. You will also find details of how to respond to the proposals. Your local media will also cover the publication of the relevant National Area Plan. Once it is public, this is the time to make your firm intentions known to Post Office Ltd.
Do not contact the Post Office or the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division for details of your Area Plan. When details of the plans are published, they will be widely publicised. Advance details will not be released to any parties, including the Churches. It is unlikely that the plans will result in any brand new post offices - either full-time or outreach - being opened in areas where there was formerly no provision.
We would warmly encourage every church to consider if this offers an appropriate opportunity for mission and service in its context.
If you have any further questions, please contact Becky Payne, Policy Officer at the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division on 020 7898 1886 or rebecca.payne@c-of-e.org.uk.
December 2007
