Key Summary
- Croydon retailer slams Post Office for its culture of ignoring branch operators
- Offered to take over services from a soon-to-close Crown Post Office.
- Met with silence despite repeated efforts
A leading Croydon retailer and sub postmaster has accused the Post Office of continuing its “dismissive and opaque” conduct towards branch operators despite public outrage, damning inquiry findings, and repeated pledges of reform.
Retailer Benedict Selvaratnam (also known as Ben) operates Church Street post office in his independent store Freshfields Market in south London.
Speaking to Asian Trader, Ben revealed he has been repeatedly ignored by the Post Office despite expressing interest for over a year in taking over core services from a nearby Crown branch which is set to close soon.
Ben revealed, "We currently run a Post Office Local, and there's a Crown Post Office- Croydon high street post office- just four minutes away from us that's due to close in the coming months.
"We’ve had no communication, no consultation, and no opportunity to put ourselves forward to take on the main services."
"We’d be happy to incorporate the additional services into our branch, but no one’s approached us. It’s concerning, not just because of the missed opportunity, but because it feels like a breakdown in transparency," he said.
According to the changes announced in Principles of Community Engagement June 2024, Post Office said it will seek feedback on proposals prior to a decision being made on the permanent closure of a Post Office branch and permanent relocation of a Post Office branch (including the franchising of a Directly Managed branch to a new site).
As stated in the Principles of Community Engagement process, "We will carry out a six-week local public consultation, informing customers, locally elected representatives, Consumer Advocacy Bodies, and selected charities of the proposal.
"We will ask locally elected representatives to share information with other key community outlets (such as notice boards, local charities, magazines, GP surgeries etc.). The consultation will ask specific questions on areas where we would like feedback on access to Post Office services and will confirm when the change will happen if the decision is made to proceed."
However, according to Ben, Post Office has been unresponsive over his proposal of transferring core services from soon-to-be closed Croydon main branch to Church Street post office.
Despite repeated efforts over the past year to contact the Post Office about the situation, Ben says he has received no clarity yet and is feeling deliberately overlooked.
Ben pointed out, "I’ve been in contact with the post office for about a year enquiring about this but no response as to their plans for it.
"Especially after everything we’ve heard from the inquiry, it’s the kind of thing that really shakes confidence. I’ve been a postmaster for five years and I’ve traded locally for over 25.
"Decisions like this, made without engaging people who’ve actually put the time in, don’t feel like the reset we’ve been promised.
"Not sure if something’s gone elsewhere or if we were just overlooked, but I’d appreciate some clarity on whether there’s been any consultation or plans to involve us," he said.
Frustrated by the stonewalling, he has now involved local MP Sarah Jones and has been assured that Jones will be writing to the post office resolutions team and the area manager on the matter.
Meanwhile, Post Office stands its ground, saying it is franchising branches with the same wide range of Post Office services, therefore, not looking to redistribute services to existing nearby branches.
"The franchised branch would continue to operate at the same location, or at a new nearby location. Any move would be subject to consultation," a Post Office spokesperson told Asian Trader.
“Moving to a fully franchised network is one part of enabling the Post Office to deliver a ‘New Deal for Postmasters’. Savings from franchising, will allow remuneration to be improved for all operators.
"To speed up the franchising process, which will allow us to improve remuneration packages for postmasters sooner, a decision was made that Post Office would work with postmasters who already operate a number of branches and strategic partners as they have already demonstrated the ability to scale up their business.”
Ben, however, is not satisfied.
He said, "We are not seeking preferential treatment. We are asking to be fairly considered as a serious and capable prospective operator.
"It is difficult to understand how a consultation can be complete or representative if viable community-based options like ours are excluded from the conversation.
Ben has strongly urged Post Office to reconsider his position in this process and is demanding a proper discussion as soon as possible.
Adding that he is particularly disturbed over Post Office's no response on pleas and mail, Ben added, "What concerns me is that I’m hearing more from staff working at the branch than I am from anyone within the Post Office itself despite being a current Postmaster who has actively and repeatedly expressed interest in this site.
"This raises real questions about the transparency and fairness of the process. At the very least, I would expect to be kept informed directly and not left relying on secondhand updates from frontline staff."
His comments come just days after the release of the first volume of the public inquiry report by Sir Wyn Williams, which documents the “disastrous” impact of the Horizon scandal and issues 19 recommendations aimed at reforming the culture and operations of the Post Office.
Ben believes not much has changed.
Sharing his reflections on the report, Ben told Asian Trader, "The report says a lot of what we’ve known for years.
"This wasn’t just bad tech, it was people in charge refusing to take responsibility while sub postmasters got blamed, ruined, and in some cases jailed. It’s hard to overstate the damage.
"As someone running a Post Office now, alongside my business, I still feel that weight. When something doesn’t add up, the assumption is that we messed up. That culture hasn’t gone away, not really. The fear of being left to deal with it on your own is still there."
Ben, who has been a postmaster for five years and a retailer in the area for over 25, says the Post Office must stop treating branch operators as expendable.
"If this inquiry is going to mean anything, it has to go beyond apologies. It means real accountability, proper compensation, and a complete reset in how sub postmasters are treated.
"We’re not just staff, we’re the link between vital services and the community. That should count for something. Let’s see if they’re finally ready to listen," he said.