Fortrose Post Office branch closure date triggers plea
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Fortrose’s Post Office branch, in Green Tree Gift Shop, is set to close on May 29 at 5pm.
Post Office is now encouraging applications from any “potential retail partners interested in running a branch locally” on their behalf.
They went on to assure customers that options for reinstating a Post Office service are being investigated.
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Post Office’s letter announcing the unplanned closure said: “Future provision will reflect customer numbers and usage and we may take the opportunity to establish another local style branch which runs alongside an established retail shop in newly refurbished premises and creates a more modern and convenient experience for customers.
“We apologise for the inconvenience the closure may cause. We hope that our customers will continue to use Post Office services.”
Highland MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston said: “I recognise the difficulties the Post Office faces in keeping these facilities open, and there is some encouragement from the fact this is being considered a temporary closure with the intension for the post office to reopen if a new postmaster can be found.
"There is also an alternative relatively nearby in Avoch, but that won’t be accessible for everyone. And it is still disheartening to see yet another example of local services being lost to rural areas.
"We have seen too many post offices lost in recent years, and only last week saw the announcement that Balmacara Post Office would close permanently.
"Our rural communities heavily depend on the in-person services offered by local post offices, and they are often places where some of our most vulnerable and isolated residents meet. And they have only become more important in those communities where other rural services, such as the local bank, have already been lost.
"The Post Office and government should be working together – in consultation with local communities - to take the action needed to prevent further closures in the future.”
