Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, recently met with the Post Office’s Mark Gibson to discuss the future of postal services in West Linton in the Scottish Borders.
The meeting came after local sub-postmasters Calum and Gillian Greenhow announced they will leave the Post Office after three decades.
The Post Office will close next month, although a search is underway for replacement sub-postmasters.
Craig said the loss of the local Post Office was “of real concern” and he urged Post Office bosses to search for new operators who could take over the branch.
He expressed concerns that competition between Royal Mail, which will now collect post and parcels from homes and businesses, and the Post Office could undermine the remaining Post Office branch network.
Mr Gibson said the Post Office was actively engaged in looking to sustain a physical Post Office in the Peeblesshire village and committed to working with the local community to provide ongoing services during any period of closure.
Craig said: “It was important to catch up with Post Office bosses to get an update about the looming closure of the West Linton branch. This move is a real concern to me and the local community. I am worried when any public service is threatened and I will work to sustain the service, which is critical given there are no banks nearby. Calum and Gillian have served the community of West Linton and beyond for 30 years, and I know the public are very thankful to them.”
“I am committed to ensuring that rural Scotland has the provisions it needs and will fight hard to ensure the people in West Linton have access to a Post Office counter. I urge the public to take part in any consultation, ensure your voice is heard, and would encourage potential operators to come forward to consider taking over the business. I also urge the new Labour Government to continue to offer financial support to the Post Office to maintain its network in the face of increased competition from new Royal Mail services.”
