GREENLAW POST OFFICE DECISION "CALLOUS”, SAYS HUME (Jim Hume)

GREENLAW POST OFFICE DECISION "CALLOUS”, SAYS HUME

October 23, 2008 12:00 AM

Jim Hume, MSP for the South of Scotland, has today called upon the Scottish Government to take urgent action to save postal services in Greenlaw following the Post Office's disastrous decision to press ahead with its closure plans.

Jim Hume said:

"Post Office Ltd's decision flies in the face of the huge volume of objections received from constituents, businesses and community groups.

"Greenlaw Post Office in particular was shown to be a successful, thriving and profitable business yet Post Office Ltd has taken the decision to close it despite the wealth of support for the provision from local people and my colleagues, Councillor Frances Renton and local MP Michael Moore.

"Post office branches are vital to rural communities and that's why I'm calling on the Scottish Government to take urgent action to make sure Greenlaw postal services are saved.

The MSP continued:

"Post Office Ltd has blatantly ignored the will of the people across the whole of the South of Scotland by sticking to its original flawed plans to close all proposed branches in the consultation. People in the South of Scotland will quite rightly feel very cheated and it seems that the consultation was nothing more than an exercise in being seen to do the right thing.

"It's now for the Scottish Government to ensure elderly, disabled and vulnerable residents as well as small to medium sized businesses are not put at a disadvantage simply as a result of this callous cost cutting exercise."

ENDS

Note to editors:

That the Parliament deplores the decision taken by Post Office Ltd to remain committed to its original post office branch closure programme across the South of Scotland despite the numerous strong objections made by individuals, businesses and community groups; further deplores the loss in particular of Greenlaw Post Office which was shown to be a thriving and profitable business; notes with deep concern the detrimental impact this loss of service provision in Greenlaw will have on the economy of the immediate local community and surrounding area, individuals and small to medium sized businesses reliant upon a service which is very localised and customised to their specific needs, and which provides face to face personal support and advice to elderly, disabled and vulnerable people; and calls upon the Scottish Government to take urgent action to retain effective and comprehensive postal services in Greenlaw and the rest of the South of Scotland.