THE SUDDEN CLOSURE of a Moray post office has sparked calls for urgent action from local politicians.
Local councillors Mike McConachie and Pearl Paul have sought assistance from the Chief Executive at Moray Council as questions are being asked over why the local post office at Dufftown was closed without warning.
Moray’s MP has also contacted Post Office Ltd seeking answers and calling for a speedy resolution – perhaps with a temporary office being set up at the local Library or Tourist Information Office.
Local councillor for Speyside Glenlivet, Pearl Paul, said: “I raised this issue in Council Committee this week and the Chief Executive gave an assurance that they are looking at various ways of offering short-term support until a proper solution can be found.
“It is a worrying situation and everyone needs to pull together to ensure people in Dufftown are not disadvantaged and that they are not left without access to vital money and postal services.”
Angus Robertson meanwhile said that his understanding was that there are communities in Aberdeenshire who have also been affected due to “an underlying business problem for the Post Office franchise holder”.
The MP added: “I have asked Post Office Ltd to explore urgent options such as offering a stop gap service in the Library or Tourist Information if that was feasible or even in a local hall.
“This, of course, requires a willing postmaster to step in from another franchise and that is not necessarily a simple thing to resolve. I will continue to stay in contact with both Post Office Ltd and with the local community and offer any help that I can give.”
Meanwhile local councillor Mike McConachie said that the local postmistress had no idea what was going on: “This is causing real problems for our local community and I would urge people to be understanding with the local postmistress who seems to have been completely in the dark about this until it was sprung on her.
“Getting a permanent solution will take some time but we need to get temporary measures in place as soon as possible – such as help with transport to get to other post offices to access pensions and other key financial services and finding a temporary post office option in Dufftown until we get a full replacement service.”