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Author	Message
Peter Cairns Location: Scotland	Tuesday 08 January 2008 11:59:37 am Welcome The announcement of Post Office Ltd's Network Change Programme for the Highlands opens a short but crucial consultation period between now and early Febuary. The Council both welcomes and encourages public involvement and I hope that as many people as possible can contribute to this process and help to shape the future of postal services. The Council's objective is to allow as many people as possible to make their views clear and to make sure that Post office Limited both listen and respond to those concerns. Peter.
Jon Shepherd Location: Scotland	Wednesday 09 January 2008 9:00:31 am Black Isle post office closures As a resident of Kilcoy near Tore, I have seen firstly Tore post office close and now Killearnan is set to follow. On the surface, both of these post offices could have been regarded as fairly marginal facilities - only open for short periods and not offering any additional services. This hides the the vital importance of such facilities to rural areas: 1. A weekly focal point for a small number of elderly vulnerable residents. If someone doesn't come in one week it will be noticed in a small post office. 2. An integral part of a complex fragile web of local services that are all interdependent. Closure of the post office may be the last straw, forcing people to forsake the local shop/filling station/cafe/farm shop in favour of the one-stop experience. Instead of a 2 mile round trip visiting a number of local businesses, it becomes a 12 mile round trip visiting Tesco. Local post office staff often provide a service that far exceeds the nominal opening hours and service level listed by Royal Mail in their publication. I would also add that the Kilcoy area will now be more than 3 miles by road from an alternative post office. There is also no broadband available in Kilcoy, leaving this part of the Black Isle (hardly remote by any Highland standards) highly disadvantaged. Jon

Author

Message

Peter Cairns

Location: Scotland

Tuesday 08 January 2008 11:59:37 am

Welcome

The announcement of Post Office Ltd's Network Change Programme for the Highlands opens a short but crucial consultation period between now and early Febuary.

The Council both welcomes and encourages public involvement and I hope that as many people as possible can contribute to this process and help to shape the future of postal services.

The Council's objective is to allow as many people as possible to make their views clear and to make sure that Post office Limited both listen and respond to those concerns.

Peter.

Jon Shepherd

Location: Scotland

Wednesday 09 January 2008 9:00:31 am

Black Isle post office closures

As a resident of Kilcoy near Tore, I have seen firstly Tore post office close and now Killearnan is set to follow. On the surface, both of these post offices could have been regarded as fairly marginal facilities - only open for short periods and not offering any additional services. This hides the the vital importance of such facilities to rural areas:

1. A weekly focal point for a small number of elderly vulnerable residents. If someone doesn't come in one week it will be noticed in a small post office.

2. An integral part of a complex fragile web of local services that are all interdependent. Closure of the post office may be the last straw, forcing people to forsake the local shop/filling station/cafe/farm shop in favour of the one-stop experience. Instead of a 2 mile round trip visiting a number of local businesses, it becomes a 12 mile round trip visiting Tesco.

Local post office staff often provide a service that far exceeds the nominal opening hours and service level listed by Royal Mail in their publication.

I would also add that the Kilcoy area will now be more than 3 miles by road from an alternative post office. There is also no broadband available in Kilcoy, leaving this part of the Black Isle (hardly remote by any Highland standards) highly disadvantaged.

Jon