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| CAMPBELL FINDS POST OFFICE CLOSURES HAVE HIT CLYDESDALE COMMUNITIES HARD |
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Aileen Campbell, SNP MSP for South of Scotland, has revealed that concerns expressed about possible Post Office closures in 2008 appear to have become a reality. Aileen contacted all those who had responded to her 2008 surveys on the proposed closures of Westport (Lanark), New Lanark, Bankhead (Lesmahagow) and Hareleeshill (Larkhall) branches, as well as several other branches in the South of Scotland region, to ask what impact the closures have had on the local community. Of those who replied, 90% said they believed that, in general, closure of their post offices has had a negative affect on the community. In addition, 77% of respondents agreed that the quality of local postal services has worsened in the last year, since the closure programme came into effect. These results, and the range of comments submitted, bear out many of the concerns expressed by members of the local community and those who responded to Aileen’s initial consultation when the closures were first proposed in summer 2008. Comments included longer queues at alternative post offices, and the difficulty of travelling to these, especially in poor weather. Many respondents also indicated that they noticed the impact on older and more vulnerable residents, and the loss of the social function of the Post Office as a place where people met other members of the community. One respondent even indicated that they now had to pay for a taxi in order to collect their pension. Aileen has now passed her findings to the Royal Mail Group and the Scottish Government. Commenting, Aileen Campbell MSP said: “When the proposals to close Post Offices in Clydesdale were first announced, many local residents expressed their fears that in addition to losing an important community facility, they would be faced with longer and more difficulty journeys to alternative Post Offices, and longer queues once they got there. “These replies to my latest survey seem to show these concerns were well-founded. It seems the bad weather this winter also made it particularly difficult for older and more vulnerable members of the community to access the important services provided by the Post Office. “I’ve passed these results on to Royal Mail and asked under what circumstances they would consider reopening closed branches, and how they monitor the impact at alternative branches. I’m also looking forward to hearing from the Scottish Government how its £1million Post Office Diversification Fund will be able to help remaining small and rural branches withstand the current economic downturn.”
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