Post Office (UK) earmarks 44 closures

The Post Office wants to reduce the number of branches in Argyll and Bute by seven, Greater Glasgow by 27 and Central Scotland by 10.

There will be a six-week consultation period to give communities a chance to air their views on the closures.

Plans for post office provision for other parts of Scotland will be announced next year.

Full list of post office closures

The closure list for the Highlands is expected in January, the list for the Western and Northern Isles in March, and for the north-east, Tayside and Fife in April. Other areas will be announced in June and July next year.

The consultation on the future of the first earmarked post offices will remain open for six weeks until 3 December.

The plans are part of a wider restructuring of post office services throughout the UK.

Staff at some of the post offices earmarked for closure have expressed anger at the way management have handled this week’s announcement.

Post office workers told the BBC Scotland news website that they were being prevented from talking to the media about the closures.

Some also revealed that they had yet to receive any official notification of the proposals and only learned their jobs might be under threat when leaflets about the closures were delivered to branches at the weekend.

The first closures are expected to take place in February 2008 with all changes expected to be completed by the end of that year.

There are 308 post office branches in Greater Glasgow, Central Scotland and Argyll & Bute.

Mobile service

The Post Office claimed that under the area plan proposals 99.9 pct of the population would either see no change to their nearest branch or will remain within one mile of an alternative branch.

The plan includes proposed “outreach” services in three communities in rural Stirlingshire – Buchlyvie, Thornhill and Gargunnock.

Possible types of outreach service could include a mobile service, a restricted hours service or a partner agreement within the premises of a local shop.

Post Office Ltd’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.”

Tricia Dow, director of consumer watchdog Postwatch Scotland, said: “We do accept there is a need for change because the network is unsustainable.

“What we are hoping to ensure is that this public consultation is meaningful.

“We are particularly concerned about this first plan and about the groups of closures in the north of Glasgow and in West Dunbartonshire which may leave an untenable network.”

Customers at some of the post offices expected to close have also expressed anger and concern, with one woman describing her local post office in Clarkston as a “vital lifeline.”