The Post Office has today begun local public consultations in the Highlands on the proposed closures of post offices, as Scottish MSPs call for a rethink of the plans.
The Post Office’s consultation on its Highland Action Plan will remain open until 18 February. The action plan says 18 branches will close, with 11 more to be operated through a form of outreach service, which includes a mobile post office service visiting small communities at set times, or a hosted service operated within third party premises for restricted hours each week.
Under these changes, the Post Office says that 96.9 per cent of the population will either see no change to their nearest branch, or will remain within one mile, by road distance, of an alternative branch.
The Post Office’s Network Development Manager for Scotland, Sally Buchanan, said: "Taking the decision to close any Post Office branch is always very difficult and we know will cause concern to many of our customers. We want to ensure that everyone who uses, relies on or has any concern with Post Office services is both fully aware of the changes we are proposing to meet UK Government requirements, and able to give views on how accessible services will be in the future.
"Post Office Ltd’s aim is to continue to provide essential services and support retail businesses and the local economy in as many communities as possible, subject to the very strict minimum access criteria set by the UK Government.
"We believe that these proposals offer the best prospect for a sustainable way forward for post office services in the Highlands of Scotland, bearing in mind the minimum access criteria and the other factors, which we have taken into account."
Responding to the Post Office’s announcement, SNP MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Fergus Ewing, called for campaigners to put pressure on the Post Office, “to hammer home the message that such closures will have a detrimental impact on rural communities.
“It is clear that senior management are preparing the ground for a huge sell off of the postal service and it is disappointing that the UK Government has not intervened and made a rigorous case for retaining postal services locally,” he said.
SNP colleague Rob Gibson, a Highlands and Islands MSP, said he would be campaigning to save the post offices. He added: “However the Post Office has created a catch 22 situation where if one post office is saved another has to close. This is a disgraceful way to go about consultation and only highlights the need for a full review of the Post Office.”
Peter Peacock, Labour MSP for the Highlands and Islands, said many local people, particularly the elderly, depend upon the service that post offices provide.
He said: “I have written today to all the sub postmasters of the branches affected to ask what support they may find of most help and I will work with local community councils as well. It is vital that the consultation process now underway is meaningful and reflects the needs of local communities and I will liaise closely with Postwatch, who represent the consumers interests in these matters.”
Jamie McGrigor, Conservative MSP for Highlands and Islands and Shadow Minister for Communities, also called for the branches value to the community to be understood.
He said: “The Westminster Government must always be aware of the social value of local post offices and that if one closes, often the last shop in the village closes as well. Anything that can be done to preserve Post Offices by co-locating other services will go some considerable way towards meeting the needs of the most vulnerable in our society.
“It is therefore hugely important that the Scottish Government investigates the possibility of co-locating police stations or other public services with the post offices due to close, as soon as possible.”
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