I wonder how many of your readers are aware of the extent to which the closure of post offices announced last week is discriminating against the Borders and probably against rural communities in general.
Post Office Limited is under an obligation to act fairly across the country in regard to its closures.
The 57 affected post offices (out of a total of 320) across the whole area of Edinburgh, the Lothians and south Scotland means that 17.8 per cen
t of the current branches will be closed, or have a significantly-reduced service.
This figure of 17.8 per cent is the same as the target across the whole of the UK.
But in the Borders 24 per cent of our post offices will be impacted.
Post Office Limited is trying to make out that its reduced service – what it calls 'outreach' – is not a closure.
But for most people, seeing a service that is provided by their local shop for maybe 40 hours a week reduced to a visit by a van for an hour or two, on maybe every other day, is effectively a closure.
What is not right is that closure or outreach should disproportionately impact the rural communities – but that is exactly what is happening.
The post office closures are unfair to the Borders. Our elected representatives – councillors, MSPs and MPs – need to work together to take up this cause.
Stuart Bell
(secretary, Clovenfords & District Community Council)
The full article contains 246 words and appears in Southern Reporter newspaper.
