Thatcham's Broadway Post Office closed with Morrisons Daily on 4 October. No new operator is named yet. The two nearest branches, and what they cannot do.
Thatcham town centre no longer has a Post Office. The branch inside Morrisons Daily at 54-55 The Broadway closed on Sunday 4 October, when Morrisons shut the shop around it.
A week on, the Post Office has not named anyone to take it over.
What the Post Office said
The closure was set out in a letter to customers that the Post Office published on its consultation site on 30 June. It is filed as a “Branch Unplanned Closure”.
The letter says Morrisons “confirmed their decision to close Thatcham Morrisons Daily store”. The store, and the Post Office with it, was “due to close on Sunday 04 October 2026”.
On a replacement, the letter goes no further than this:
- the Post Office is “investigating the options” to reinstate a service in Thatcham
- that “may include” advertising the vacancy on its Run a Post Office site
- any new service will “reflect customer numbers and usage”
- it “may take the opportunity to establish an alternative type of service”
That last line matters. A replacement could be a smaller counter than the one Thatcham has just lost.
Because the closure is classed as unplanned, the letter says the decision on whether to replace it is a commercial one and “will not be subject to public consultation”.
The branch’s page on the consultation site still carries only that June letter. There is no later notice naming a new operator or a new site. Morrisons’ own store finder no longer lists a Thatcham shop.
A reprieve, then the October date
The closure was first expected in July. Lee Dillon, the MP for Newbury, said on 2 June that residents had told his office about a planned closure on 13 July. He said many people had found out “only through word of mouth rather than an official announcement”.
He said the Post Office had confirmed it would explore options for a new operator, but that there was “no confirmed replacement”.
On 30 June he announced the branch would stay open until 4 October. He said applications to take over the town centre branch were open until 10 July, and that the Post Office would then assess bids, carry out suitability checks and appoint an operator.
“Having spoken to several business owners interested in the opportunity, I am hopeful that a strong long-term solution can be found very soon,” he wrote. His website has carried no update on the branch since.
Where to go now
The Post Office’s letter names two alternatives. Neither offers everything the Broadway branch did.
| Branch | Address | Distance | Hours | Does not offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northfield Road | Tesco Express, 73B Northfield Road, RG18 3EU | about 0.8 miles | Mon to Fri 9am to 5.30pm; Sat 9am to 12.30pm | Passport Check and Send |
| Cold Ash | Cold Ash Hill, Cold Ash, RG18 9PH | about 1.5 miles | Mon to Fri 9am to 5.30pm; Sat 9am to 12.30pm | Passport Check and Send, dollar travel money, vehicle tax, on-demand travel insurance |
Both are closed on Sundays. Both have level access, according to the letter.
For cash, Thatcham’s banking hub is still open at 44 The Broadway, 9am to 5pm on weekdays. Its counter is run by the Post Office. Customers of all major banks can pay in and withdraw cash, pay in cheques, check a balance, pay bills and top up gas and electricity there.
It is a banking counter, not a post office. Cash Access UK’s page for the hub does not list postal services. The hub has also applied to move into the old Lloyds unit at 1 Kingsland Centre, and both planning applications are still marked “awaiting decision” on the council’s register. We covered that move in August.
What it means for you
Posting parcels or buying stamps: Northfield Road is the nearest counter, about 0.8 miles from The Broadway. It is open until 12.30pm on Saturdays.
Renewing a passport with Check and Send: neither nearby branch offers it. Use the Post Office’s branch finder to find the nearest branch that does before you travel.
Cash and banking: the banking hub on The Broadway covers most counter banking, Monday to Friday.
If you want to have your say: the Post Office takes comments on the closure by email to comments@postoffice.co.uk, by post to FREEPOST Your Comments, or by phone on 03452 66 01 15. Its notification period for this branch runs until 23 October.
If you run a shop in Thatcham and might host a counter: the Post Office advertises vacancies on its Run a Post Office site.
Sources
Post Office, Thatcham RG19 3HP information letter, published 30 June 2026; Lee Dillon MP, 2 June and 30 June 2026; Cash Access UK, Thatcham (Berkshire); West Berkshire Council planning register, 26/01791/FUL and 26/01792/ADV. All read on 11 October 2026.
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