MSP, Cllrs fight to save Angus Post Offices

12.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 29th Jul 2008

North East Scotland MSP Alison McInnes has called on the Post Office to abandon plans to shut two Angus Post Offices.

Mrs McInnes pointed out that places like Inverkeillor, where the Post Office is the sole shop, depend heavily on the Post Office. The Post Office's proposal for closing Inverkeillor Post Office suggests services will relocate to the church where they will be provided on a less frequent basis.

Mrs McInnes said: "Church buildings are designed for church services not postal services. It is not clear that the alternative will be appropriate in the long term.

She added: "Not only will people be inconvenienced by the transfer of services to the church, but the viability of the village's only shop will be affected.

"Post Office closures will have a real affect upon people's lives."

Local councillors have warned that if the proposals go ahead, Inverkeillor residents will have to travel to Arbroath or Montrose for their milk and newspapers.

Angus Councillor David May who accompanied Mrs McInnes on her visit to Inverkeillor commented: "It is inevitable that these closures will affect people's travel distances, and there is a serious issue of social exclusion in villages such as Inverkeillor where many of the residents are older and where there are many young families."

Cairnie Street

Following a visit to Cairnie Street Post Office in Arbroath, Mrs McInnes said: "Closure here will increase local dependence upon Abbeygate Post Office and there remains uncertainty about the future of Abbeygate."

Angus Councillor Peter Nield, who visited Cairnie Street with Mrs McInnes, echoed her calls for the plans to be dropped, and added: "The proposals for Cairnie Road are a nonsense while there are still considerable doubts about the Abbeygate Post Office."

"There are reports that the Post Office is taking account of this, and I hope that the closure of Cairnie Road Post Office will now be put on hold."