The Post Office said it has yet to finalise a new operator for its Basingstoke town centre branch, currently located within WHSmith, amid its national plans to cut 115 branches.

As previously reported, WHSmith has announced that it will officially shut its Basingstoke town centre store on Saturday, February 1, 2025.

A spokesperson for the Post Office also said its operator for the Basingstoke town centre branch has resigned following the announcement by WHSmith.

Hence the current Post Office branch is expected to cease operations on or around February 1, 2025. However, efforts to secure a new operator for the branch are underway.

READ MORE: WH Smith store launches closing down sale ahead of February closure

The closure comes amid broader changes within the Post Office network, which could see up to 115 "loss-making" branches across the UK closed or franchised as part of a major restructuring effort.

The spokesperson said: “The operator for Basingstoke Post Office has resigned as WHSmith has made the difficult decision to close the store where the branch is based. Current expectation is that the branch will close on or about 1 February 2025.”

The Post Office has advertised the vacancy and revealed that it has attracted interest from several potential retailers.

“The vacancy for Basingstoke Post Office has been advertised and we have had several interested retailers. There are currently two applicants.  We will consider their applications and we hope to be able to progress with one of those applicants,” the spokesperson added.

The Basingstoke post office change coincides with the impending rollout of a “transformation plan,” which aims to address financial losses by closing certain branches or transferring them to franchise arrangements.

The plan is expected to be unveiled by Post Office chairman Nigel Railton and aims to strengthen the network while increasing revenue shares for postmasters.

The Post Office network includes 11,500 branches across the UK. The proposed changes will disproportionately affect Crown Post Offices—larger branches in town or city centres that are operated directly by Post Office employees.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said: “Post Offices are an integral part of the communities they serve and the services they provide for local people.

SEE ALSO: Basingstoke GP surgery system outage problems continue

“The Government is in active discussion with Nigel Railton on his plans to put postmasters at the centre of the organisation and strengthen the Post Office network for its long-term future.”

Retail partners of the Post Office, such as WH Smith, Tesco, Morrisons and the Co-Op, operate 2,000 Post Offices across the country.

The rest of the network – around 9,000 Post Offices – are operated by independent postmasters.