Post offices forced to play waiting game
ALTHOUGH they have all been earmarked for closure, those in charge of post offices at Eccles, Greenlaw and Hutton still have no idea when they will shut their counters for the last time.
It was announced that all three facilities would close back in October last year at the end of a consultation by the Post Office network aimed at cutting costs.
Public meetings were held in Hutton and Greenlaw on September 15 and village halls were packed out with members of the public who ensured network representatives were made well aware of their objections.
John Lamont MSP chaired the meetings when many people spoke of the negative repercussions the closures would have on local businesses as well as the effect on residents, particularly those who weren't able to travel to neighbouring larger towns to send mail or collect their pensions.
However, despite this massive outcry against the closures, the fate of all three post offices was rubberstamped on October 21 when it was announced that none of them had escaped the axe.
And the frustration is now continuing for those who are running the affected post offices as they are in the dark after not yet having any official word from the Post Office network on when they will finally close.
Staff told The Berwickshire News earlier this week that they hadn't yet been given dates for closure and a spokesperson from the Post Office network confirmed that these had still to be finalised
The nationwide consultation also affected facilities in Northumberland with Norham Post Office, which lies close to the Scottish Border, already having a date for closure- January 26.
It is to be replaced with a mobile outreach service from Coldstream, which is also expected to serve Eccles, Greenlaw and Hutton when they eventually shut their doors.
The van is set to call in at Greenlaw from 2-4pm on Mondays, 9-11am on Tuesdays, 11.30am-1.30pm on Wednesdays, 2.30-4.30pm on Thursdays and 12-1.30pm on Fridays.
Customers in Eccles will be able to take advantage of the service from 12-1.30pm on Tuesdays and 11.30am-1.30pm on Thursdays and finally it will be available to those in Hutton from 12-1pm on Mondays and Fridays.
But for the time being for postmasters and postmistresses in Berwickshire it's a case of playing the waiting game.
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Thursday 17 May 2012
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