The post offices were due to shut under nationwide programme that will see 2,500 branches removed from the system.
A two-month negotiation period has now been agreed between the council and Post Office Ltd, allowing time for each Essex branch to be subject to an assessment for support based on financial viability together with local need.
County council leader Lord Hanningfield said: “There is a huge amount of work still to do and we will now be conducting our own assessment on the merits and financial viability of each post office together with the needs of the communities that they serve – because of this it is too early to mention specific branches at this stage.
“Let me also stress that this is also not about replacing one public subsidy with another. Our intention is very clear; the money that we will be investing on behalf of the people of Essex will be used, over the course of the next three years, to help each branch to move, as far as possible, to become financial self-sufficient and cost neutral to the council.”
Last month Hampshire County Council promised to pump £100,000 into helping stores hit by Post Office closures.
