Villagers welcome post office reprieve
Villagers have welcomed a last-minute decision to keep their local post office open for business a little while longer.
Up until this week, people living in Luncarty had believed the office located within the SPAR shop in the village’s Marshall Way was set to close permanently at noon tomorrow (Saturday).
The Post Office wrote to customers in early January saying the shop’s owners CJ Lang had signalled they were unwilling to run the local branch past this point.
Luncarty, Redgorton and Moneydie Community Council (LRMCC) decided to pen a letter to the Dundee-based company late last month urging them to reconsider amid fears the closure would force villagers to travel to other settlements to access services and increase their chances of catching COVID-19.
The group has since received a letter from the Post Office saying managers have now agreed to keep the branch open for the time being, although for how much longer remains uncertain.
One resident remarked after the group published the letter on social media: “Great news, we have been so unhappy about the loss of the post office. Let’s hope we can keep it. So many people depend upon it.”
Another resident said: “Good, hope they can negotiate a permanent solution.”
Over a dozen other residents left similar remarks underneath the post.
LRMCC chairman George Black said on Wednesday this week: “The reaction has been very positive. The post office is a very handy thing to have in the village.”
A Post Office spokesperson said this week: “We are pleased to announce that following discussions with SPAR Scotland, a decision to withdraw from operating 18 Post Office branches has been put on hold.
“The retail climate is extremely challenging, however, both SPAR Scotland and the Post Office are committed to working together to develop a commercially sustainable solution that maintains access to Post Office services for customers and businesses.
“Post offices play an important role in the local community and we are committed to working together to find a permanent solution for these 18 branches.
“Some post offices have recently closed or are closing imminently, however, there are nearby alternative Post Office branches whilst we continue to look for replacement solutions.
“As part of our response to changes that are happening on the High Street and in the retail and convenience sectors more broadly, the Post Office is also developing new branch formats and we hope to trial some of these at SPAR Scotland stores in the coming months to help us ensure that local communities can continue to access Post Office services.”
A SPAR Scotland spokesperson added: “With regards to the planned changes to the services offered at the SPAR Luncarty store, we are working with [the] Post Office ... to discuss options that continue to provide facilities in the local area.
“While these conversations take place, the Post Office counter will stay open in the store to serve our customers.
“We remain committed to the communities we serve and keeping as many stores open as we can to continue to provide goods locally to our shoppers, especially during such challenging times.”