East Hagbourne Post Office
House of Commons · Petitions · 17 Jun 2026 · 12 speeches · Official Report
The petition of residents of East Hagbourne in the constituency of Didcot and Wantage,
Declares that the loss of the community post office branch in the East Hagbourne Community Shop would be damaging to the village and wider community, and that the volunteer-run community shop is not in a position to take on the Post Office’s new ‘local’ model.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to encourage the Post Office to ensure that the community model is restored to the East Hagbourne Post Office.
And the petitioners remain, etc. -[Presented by Olly Glover , Official Report, 18 May 2026; Vol. 786, c. 372. ]
[P003198]
Observations from t he Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Blair McDougall):
Thank you to the petitioners for raising concerns regarding the future of the community post office branch in the East Hagbourne community shop, as set out in petition P003198, presented on 18 May 2026.
The Government recognise the important role that post office branches play in supporting local communities, particularly in rural areas such as East Hagbourne, and fully appreciate the impact that the loss of a branch can have on residents and local businesses.
While Post Office Ltd is publicly owned, it operates at arm’s length from Government and has the commercial freedom to manage the network within parameters set by Government. Decisions regarding individual branches, including on closures and formats, are therefore operational matters for the company. As such, it would not be appropriate for Government to intervene directly in these decisions; however, we have raised the concerns of the East Hagbourne community with the Post Office.
The Government protect the post office network by setting minimum access criteria, which, for example, require 99% of the UK population to live within three miles of a post office outlet.
While Post Office Ltd continues to consider options for a replacement service in East Hagbourne, alternative branches remain available nearby, including Didcot post office, approximately 1.2 miles away, and Georgetown post office, approximately 1.6 miles away. This is consistent with the Government-set access criteria, which ensure that, however the network changes, services remain within local reach of communities.
The Government expect Post Office Ltd to continue to engage with the local community and stakeholders as it explores options for maintaining services in the area.