Last post for 3 county offices

Oct 23 2008 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

THE last post has been sounded for three West Lothian Post Office branches after it was announced they are to close.

Following a six-week consultation process the Post Office has confirmed plans to close village outlets at Breich, Newton and Polbeth, in spite of strong objections from residents and politicians.

The branches could be closed as soon as November.

West Lothian Council has condemned the decision.

Executive Councillor for Transport and Development, Martyn Day, said: “We are very disappointed and deeply concerned on the potential impact it will have on the communities of Breich, Newton and Polbeth.

“The Post Office have simply ignored our justified concerns over transport links, the impact on village stores and the suitability of alternative local branches by closing these three branches, which makes their entire consultation look like a whitewash.

“We are now calling for action to be taken to ensure that alternative branches have adequate capacity to cope with an increase in customers, as well as ensuring that they are fully accessible and that retail standards and staffing levels are upgraded.

“We would also urge the Post Office to minimise disruption to customers by delaying any closures until after the Christmas period.”

Michael Connarty, MP for Linlithgow, had been fighting to keep the Newton branch open and was dismayed by the decision.

He said: “Many residents will be well outside the three mile limit to travel to another post office if the Newton office is closed.

“Newton is a village community based on the farming and estate traditions round about and the post office is the focus of the community.”

Mr Connarty added that there had been severe criticisms of the bus service into and out of South Queensferry, where the nearest branch for Newton residents will now be located, at a recent public meeting.

And he said that submissions from businesses in the village and the vicinity stressed the key attraction of the post office for their business in banking and postal terms.

Sally Buchanan, Post Office Ltd’s Network Development Manager for Scotland, said the decisions to shut the branches had not been taken lightly and the comments made during the public consultation had been carefully considered.

She added: “We believe that the amended plan announced today offers our customers across Edinburgh, The Lothians and the South of Scotland the best prospect for a sustainable network in the future, bearing in mind the UK Government’s minimum access criteria and the other factors it has asked us to consider.”