Consultation Starts On Changes To Post Office® Network – Post Office Ltd announces plans for the North East, Tayside and Fife
Post Office Ltd today (28 May 2008) opened a six-week local public consultation on its Area Plan for the North East, Tayside and Fife.
In line with the criteria and factors set by the UK Government in its response document, DTI, The Post Office Network, Government Response to Public Consultation in May 2007 (www.berr.gov.uk/consultations) ) – the Area Plan for the North East, Fife and Tayside proposes future provision of Post Office® services through a total network of 374 branches across the area, resulting in the closure of 42 existing branches. In addition, Post Office Ltd proposes the introduction of 37 outreach services, many of them remaining in their existing premises.
Under the proposals, 99.9% of the area’s population will either see no change to their nearest branch, or will remain within one mile (by road distance) of an alternative branch.
The detailed Area Plan proposal for the North East, Tayside and Fife is now available.
To obtain a copy visit www.postoffice.co.uk/networkchange or write to Post Office Ltd at Freepost Consultation (no stamp required) or email [email protected]. Post Office Ltd is now seeking views on the proposed future service provision in the area including in particular views on access to Post Office® services, the accessibility of alternative branches to those proposed for closure and the appropriate form of outreach service to be provided. Consultation is due to end on 8 July 2008.
The UK Government has already undertaken a 12 week national consultation before reaching a decision to reduce the UK wide network of Post Office® branches by up to 2500 from its current level of over 14000 while continuing to provide funding to support a more sustainable network in the future. The proposals now published support the national accessibility criteria introduced by the UK Government.
The North East, Tayside and Fife Area Plan proposes the introduction of 37 outreach services in the following rural communities, many of which will remain in their existing premises:
Carmyllie (Hosted in premises nearby)
Glamis (Hosted in existing premises)
Inverkeilor (Hosted in church hall)
Auchnagatt (Hosted in premises nearby)
Cornhill (Hosted in existing premises)
Crimond (Partner with extended hours)
Cuminestown (Partner in existing premises with extended hours)
Gardenstown (Hosted in premises nearby)
Longside (Hosted in existing premises)
Methlick (Partner with extended hours)
New Aberdour (Hosted in premises nearby)
New Pitsligo (Partner with extended hours)
Rothie Norman (Partner with extended hours)
St Fergus (Hosted in existing premises)
Stuartfield (Hosted in existing premises)
Wellbank (Hosted in existing premises)
Collieston (Hosted in existing premises)
Kennethmont (Hosted in premises nearby)
Lumsden (Hosted in premises nearby)
Rhynie (Hosted in existing premises)
Rothiemay (Hosted in existing premises)
Guardbridge (Hosted in existing premises)
Abernethy (Mobile Post Office)
Blackford (Partner with extended hours)
Braco (Partner with extended hours)
Crook of Devon (Mobile Post Office)
Glenfarg (Mobile Post Office)
Kinnesswood (Mobile Post Office)
Muckhart (Mobile Post Office)
Muthill Crieff (Partner with extended hours)
Balbeggie (Hosted in existing premises)
Glencarse (Hosted in premises nearby)
Auchenblae (Partner in existing premises with current hours)
Finzean (Hosted in existing premises)
Johnshaven (Hosted in existing premises)
Lumphanan (Hosted in existing premises)
Strachan (Hosted in existing premises)
These outreach services will give customers continued access to post office services in their local communities on a regular basis without having to travel to another branch.
Possible types of outreach service include a mobile post office service visiting small communities at set times; a hosted service operated within third party premises for restricted hours each week; a partner service within the premises of a local partner (such as a shop) or a home service whereby customers can contact a subpostmaster by phone for services.
Post Office will be consulting on our proposed outreach services in the North East, Tayside and Fife and we are keen to hear views from these communities about suitable days and times for these services.
In the North East, Tayside and Fife area plan, there are also three postcode districts where we do not meet the access criteria laid down by the UK Government and where Post Office Ltd will be actively seeking to create additional service points. These are:
PH6 – where we propose a hosted service in a shop at St Fillans;
PH17 – where we propose the introduction of a home service;
PH18 – where we propose the introduction of a home service.
Sally Buchanan, Post Office Ltd’s Network Development Manager for Scotland, 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 proposed changes, and able to give views on them.
"Post Office Ltd’s aim is to continue to provide essential services and support retail businesses and the local economy in as many communities as possible, subject to the minimum access criteria set by the Government. The rural communities in the North East, Tayside and Fife will be served by a total of 276 branches, of which 127 provide the only access to cash in their communities.
"We believe these proposals offer the best prospect for a sustainable way forward for Post Office® services in the North East, Tayside and Fife, bearing in mind the minimum access criteria and the other factors to which we have to have regard."
Under the area plan proposals, 91.7% of the area’s population will see no change in their nearest branch. Of the 8.3% of customers who use a branch that will close, 8.2% would have access to Post Office® services within one mile as measured by road distance (3.9% being within half a mile of their nearest alternative). In total 99.9% of the population will either see no change, or will be within one mile of an alternative branch.
Post Office Ltd has reached these proposals after engaging with, and taking input from the independent consumer watchdog on postal services, Postwatch, and from all local authorities within the county, and has considered factors relating to geography, the availability of the local transport and alternative access to key Post Office® services, local demographics and the impact on local economies. Views on all these factors are welcomed during the consultation process.
Ends
Issued by Post Office Ltd
Tallents House
21 South Gyle Crescent
Edinburgh
EH12 9PB
Notes to Editors :
Post Offices in the following 15 parliamentary constituencies are included in the North East, Tayside and Fife Area Plan: Aberdeen North; Aberdeen South; Angus; Banff & Buchan; Dundee East; Dundee West; Dunfermline and West Fife; Glenrothes; Gordon; Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath; Moray; North East Fife; Ochil and South Perthshire; Perth and North Perthshire and West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine.
The following 42 Post Office® branches are proposed for closure under the North East, Tayside and Fife Area Plan:
Aberdeen North
Middlefield, 823 Great Northern Road, Aberdeen
Mount Street, Aberdeen
Aberdeen South
Mannofield, 535 Great Western Road, Aberdeen
Nigg, Wellington Road, Aberdeen
Angus
Cairnie Street, Arbroath
Dundee Road, Forfar
Kilry, Kirriemuir
Southmuir, Kirriemuir
Banff and Buchan
Blacklaw, Aberchirder
Broadsea, High Street, Fraserburgh
Longhaven, Peterhead
Dundee East
Ferry Road, Dundee
Monikie, Broughty Ferry, Dundee
Dundee West
Lochee Road, Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee
Fairmuir, Dundee
Dunfermline and West Fife
Dalbeath Crescent, Cowdenbeath
Halbeath, Main Street, Halbeath,
Torryburn, 64 Main Street, Torrybyrn,
Transy, 103 Appin Crescent, Dunfermline
Glenrothes
Denbeath, 552 Wellesley Road, Leven
Dundonald Park, Cardenden,Lochgelly
Kingdom Centre, 24 North Street, Glenrothes
Gordon
Montgarrie, Alford
Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath
Glencraig, Crosshill, Lochgelly,
Hillend, 37 Main Street, Hillend, Dunfermline
Keltyhill, Blackhall Sq, Kelty
Pathhead, Commercial St, Kirkcaldy
Moray
Buckpool, 11 St Andrews Square, Buckpool
Fife Keith, 14 Regent Street, Keith
East End, 20 High Street, Forres
East End, Pansport Road, Elgin
North East Fife
Lower Largo, 1 Main Street, Lower Largo
Newton Of Falkland., Newton Cottage, Cupar
Scoonie Road, 1 Bramble Bank, Leven
Westport,Cupar,
Ochil and South Perthshire
Fairyburn, Alloa
Perth and North Perthshire
Bridgend, 1/3 Main Street, Bridgend, Perth
Cherrybank, 186 Glasgow Road, Perth
Garth Avenue, Perth
Kinrossie, Mercat Green, Kinrossie, Perth
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
Glassel, Banchory
The 37 Post Office® Branches which are proposed for replacement by an outreach solution under the North East, Tayside and Fife Area Plan are detailed in page 2 of the press release.
The UK Government criteria:
Nationally:
99% of the UK population to be within 3 miles and 90% of the population to be within 1 mile of their nearest Post Office® branch.
99% of the total population in deprived urban (deprived urban – the most disadvantaged urban parts of the UK based on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation – top 15% Super Output Area in England, 15% of Data Zones in Scotland and 30% of Super Output Areas in Wales and Northern Ireland) areas across the UK to be within 1 mile of their nearest Post Office® branch.
95% of the total urban (urban – a community with 10,000 or more inhabitants in a continuous built up area) population across the UK to be within 1 mile of their nearest Post Office® branch.
95% of the total rural (rural – a community not covered by the definition of urban above) population across the UK to be within 3 miles of their nearest Post Office® branch.
In addition for each individual postcode district 95% of the population of the postcode district to be within 6 miles of their nearest Post Office® branch.
A full list of the 374 Post Office® branches which would remain open under these proposals is available upon request.
The six-week public consultation period for the North East, Tayside and Fife Area Plan begins on 28 May 2008 and all representations should be received by 8 July 2008.
To express your views write to Sally Buchanan, Network Development Manager
C/o National Consultation Team, FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM
By email to: [email protected] or call the Customer Helpline: 08457 22 33
