Major supermarket chain with 7,000 branches to close site

A MAJOR supermarket concatenation with 7,000 branches is acceptable to adjacent a site.

The closure, which volition instrumentality spot successful July, could besides mean the nonaccomplishment of a important amenity for the section community.

The fashionable Co-op store successful Oswestry, Shropshire contains a Post Office - and locals person present been near uncertain astir the destiny of the message service.

Co-op bosses confirmed the news of the closure and apologised to disappointed customers.

A spokesperson said: "We transportation retired reviews of our existing store locations, and lone aft precise cautious consideration, person we taken the hard determination to adjacent our Cabin Lane store.

"We recognize that this determination volition not beryllium welcomed by all, truthful we are atrocious for immoderate inconvenience this volition origin and would similar to convey the assemblage for its enactment of the store."

The spokesperson past directed customers to a antithetic branch, adding: "We person different Co-op store precise adjacent connected Victoria Road, Oswestry, and we stay committed to serving and supporting Shropshire communities with stores crossed the county."

Local MP Helen Morgan expressed her concerns astir the imaginable nonaccomplishment of the Post Office successful Parliament.

She said that the subdivision services a precise ample agrarian country that does not person a large woody of integer entree and truthful relies connected the post.

Helen, who represents the constituency of North Shropshire, said: "The afloat scope of Crown Post Office services are perfectly essential."

"Can the Minister supply immoderate assurance that the afloat scope of Crown Post Office services volition stay successful Oswestry and that the Post Office volition instrumentality into relationship the information that it is truthful important to clasp these captious services successful agrarian areas which are being deserted by commercialized organisations similar banks?"

In response, Gareth Thomas, whose remit covers services, tiny business and exports successful the Department for Business and Trade, agreed connected the value of the service.

However, helium did not supply immoderate guarantees connected whether it would stay successful spot - and said the Post Office would request to see assorted factors.

He said: “I perfectly americium wide that we have, arsenic a government, a continuing responsibility, which we recognise and accept, to marque definite Post Office services are disposable to each assemblage crossed the UK, that determination is casual entree to a Post Office subdivision successful agrarian areas and successful municipality areas alike. And we stay committed to doing that. Absolutely.

“As I’ve said earlier, nary determination has been taken connected to adjacent immoderate idiosyncratic straight managed branch. But it is close that the Post Office looks astatine each its costs if we’re going to execute an summation successful sub postmaster wage going forward.

“And successful that respect and her wider point, it’s important that the Post Office absorption this time, due to the fact that erstwhile absorption teams haven’t ever done so, consults decently with sub postmasters, with trade unions and with different stakeholders.”

The Co-op subdivision is not the lone supermarket to adjacent precocious - arsenic a Tesco tract successful Romford, London, besides announced it would beryllium shutting up shop.

The branch, which volition adjacent connected January 27, had been determination since 2009.

And, successful much atrocious quality for shoppers, Sainsbury's announced it was axing each remaining patisserie, bakery, rotisserie and pizza counters successful its bigger branches.

It volition besides shutter 61 existing in-store cafes and chopped 3,000 caput bureau staff.