Staff at Lendal post office in York offered voluntary redundancy

Last month, the Post Office confirmed that it will close the Lendal branch on April 3. It said a new branch with five serving positions and four self-service kiosks will open within WHSmith in Coney Street the following day.

Now the Post Office has revealed the options available to the 13 members of staff at the Lendal branch.

A spokesperson said: “We care about our people and we have kept the team fully informed of their options. Employees have the right to transfer their employment in line with TUPE legislation when a decision is made to franchise their branch - there are also opportunities for redeployment or voluntary settlement.”

Before it was confirmed that the Lendal branch would close, 3,094 residents signed a petition calling for it to be saved.

Among those who spoke out against its closure was Harold Wood, who helped to protect the building from German bombs in 1942 by putting out numerous fires.

Following the Post Office’s announcement last month that it was continuing with the closure plans, Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, described the decision as “deplorable”.

She said the new counters would be relegated to the “back corner” of WHSmith.

Ms Maskell added: “Over the past two months we have seen the city come together to firmly reject this proposal and the Post Office has simply not listened. People will now rightly be very concerned about the future of this magnificent building and its historically significant interior, which includes an important war memorial. There is a lot of concern that it will join the ranks of other boarded-up shops along Coney Street or become yet another bar in our city centre.”

Members of the Guildhall branch of the York Labour Party have submitted an application in an effort to register the building in Lendal as an asset of community value.

The Post Office, which owns the building, says no decision has been made as to what will happen to it yet.