McInnes welcomes Cairnie Street PO reprieve

12.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 30th Jul 2008

Alison McInnes and Cllr Peter Nield at Cairnie Street Post Office.

North East Scotland MSP Alison McInnes has welcomed today's announcement that Cairnie Street Post Office in Arbroath will no longer face closure.

Mrs McInnes visited the Post Office in June, and joined with residents and local Councillor Peter Nield in fighting its proposed closure.

She said: "Closing Cairnie Street Post Office would have increased local dependence upon Abbeygate Post Office, which itself has an uncertain future. I am glad the Cairnie Street has been spared the axe."

Angus Councillor Peter Nield said: "The proposals for Cairnie Street were a nonsense from the beginning. This is a victory for local residents."

However, Mrs McInnes expressed disappointment that other Post Offices have not been as fortunate.

She pointed out that places like Inverkeillor, where the Post Office is the sole shop, depend heavily on the local Post Office. Post Office services will now relocate to the church where they will be provided on a less frequent basis.

Speaking before today's announcement 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.

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

Local councillors have warned that 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."