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North East, Tayside and Fife post office closures - have your say
Post Office Ltd have published plans to close 42 branches in the North East, Tayside and Fife. A further 37 branches will be replaces with ‘outreach’ services. A six week consultation on these plans begins today, 28th May 2008.Due to rising financial losses and a fall in customers, the UK Government decided that Post Office Ltd should close up to 2,500 branches by the end of 2008. Local consultations have already taken place in other parts of Scotland.
Postwatch Scotland, the independent watchdog for postal service, are urging customers to take part in the consultation and give their feedback to Post Office Ltd. The consultation will close on 8th July 2008.
Alan Alexander, Chair of Postwatch Scotland said, "Post office closures are not good news for customers, but the Government has decided that a significant number are necessary to help put in place a sustainable network for the long-term. This is not a consultation about how many post offices will close. It is about ensuring the ones that are closed minimise inconvenience to customers.
"Across the North East, Tayside and Fife we are encouraging Post Office Ltd to work with stakeholders and in particular local authorities to inform their final decisions. It is crucial that households and businesses provide feedback on proposals affecting their area. While petitions are useful in demonstrating strength of feeling, we hope respondents will set out, in detail, the local factors that are relevant to the proposals. Particularly useful would be details of how they will access alternative post offices and what impact this would have in terms of distance to travel and availability of public transport in the event of the proposal going ahead. Such engagement should help secure a better outcome."
Take part in consultation
You can find out more about the proposed plans in Post Office Ltd’s Area Plan Proposal: North East, Tayside and Fife, which you’ll find in our documents library. You can also get more information by calling 08457 22 33 44 or emailing consultation@postoffice.co.uk. You can also find information on Post Office Ltd’s Network Change Programme website.
Postwatch Scotland ask that customers and stakeholders copy their reponses to Post Office Ltd to them in writing to:
Tricia Dow, Director
Postwatch Scotland
9-10 St Andrew Square
Edinburgh, EH2 2AF
Or by email: Scotland@postwatch.co.uk
Related links
Find out when your area consultation begins
Postwatch Scotland
Post Office Ltd Network Change Programme
Post office closures for Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland
Highland post office proposed closures
Local post office consultations begin
Listen to local needs say responses to post office consultation
Post office consultation - have your say
Rural communities need their post offices
Valuing rural post offices
Rural post offices: what they contribute to community life
Ask an expert: Tricia Dow
- Source
- Postwatch Scotland
- Date
- 28-May-2008
- Categories
- LOCAL SERVICES, Mid Scotland and Fife, North East Scotland, News - General