Fears Post Office closure could be death knell for Oldham town centre
The closure of a WH Smith branch in Oldham, which houses the town's only Post Office, has raised concerns about the future of the town centre. Local MP Jim McMahon has called for government support to prevent the loss, citing the vulnerability of the service under private franchise. WH Smith confirmed the closure, citing sustainability issues, while Oldham Council mentioned potential interest from other retailers to take over the Post Office service.
Oldham’s only town centre Post Office will vanish when WH Smith shutters its Spindles Shopping Centre store on May 3, 2025, triggering warnings of “huge disruption” from local MP Jim McMahon.
The closure, confirmed by the retailer this week, ends the Post Office counter service that has operated inside the unit since 2019 and leaves residents dependent on smaller branches at Lee Street and Hardy Street. McMahon blamed the branch’s vulnerability on its placement within a private franchise and demanded government intervention to restore a standalone Post Office to the town centre.
Oldham Council, which purchased the Spindles complex for £9.5 million in 2019, said affected staff will be offered positions at other stores and claimed “several inquiries” have already been received from alternative operators. A Post Office spokesperson said the operator vacancy is “already being advertised” and that the organisation is “looking at options” to maintain service.
WH Smith defended the decision, stating: “It is no longer sustainable to continue to trade from this location and the decision has been taken to close the store as a result of the forthcoming lease expiry. We are disappointed to be losing our presence in Oldham and we would like to thank all our customers for their support and for shopping with us. We are also extremely grateful for the commitment of our in store colleagues who we will support with this transition.”
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