The future of Bridge of Allan’s post office looks bleak after it was included on a list of store closures.
The post office is currently shared with a McColl’s outlet, but there have been questions over the next steps after the troubled newsagent was acquired by Morrisons last month from a period of administration.
Morrisons have now confirmed that a total of 132 McColl’s stores will now close by the end of year, with the Bridge of Allan branch among those set to shut their doors.
In total, 55 of the earmarked stores contain a post office counter and the supermarket giant have committed to delaying the closure of these sites until after Christmas to allow them to “serve their communities” through the festive period.
The move will mean that a total of 1,300 staff in the UK will be placed at the risk of redundancy - with those affected to be offered employment at other McColl’s stores, Morrisons’ stores or other sites.
A Post Office spokesman said: “We regret to confirm that Morrisons have taken the difficult decision to close some McColl’s stores that hosted Post Offices, due to the unprofitability of the retail in that store, not helped by the difficult high street conditions facing retailers.
“Morrisons have confirmed that they will keep Bridge of Allan Post Office open throughout the Christmas period and that it will close in the New Year.
“We will undertake an assessment of the local area and will be working closely with nearby postmasters to support them with the likely increase in footfall for both their Post Office and their own retail services and will review requirements for the local community.
“Causewayhead Post Office, located in the centre of the village, is a nearby alternative Post Office customers can use in the New Year. It’s open seven days a week between 6am and 10pm.
“Similarly, Cornton Post Office is located nearby and also open seven days a week between 8.30am and 5.30pm.
“A larger, alternative Post Office is located in Dunblane and open six days a week. We recognise that for customers not able to drive, this would require taking a train one stop to Dunblane.”
However, the news has been greeted with frustration by the shop’s landlord, who says he has been left in the dark over the Morrisons decision and lamented the impact on local businesses.
Alastair Heron, who is also the owner of the Westerton Arms in the village, said: “As the landlord of the building, we’ve not heard anything beyond the fact McColl’s were in administration and we would hear in due course.
“I’m a customer of the Post Office like many others because we use it for cash banking instead of heading into Stirling to cash our takings and so if it closes, then we would be forced to take our money into the city which would be a complete inconvenience.
“I would be 100 per cent behind any effort to buy out in the building in the community - it’s a very historic building in Bridge of Allan.”
Meanwhile, Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Alexander Stewart said: “The news of this potential McColl’s/Post Office closure near where I reside in Bridge of Allan is deeply worrying.
“Such a closure would be a complete travesty for the town which will have an extremely negative and detrimental effect on the residents, especially being a local employer as well as the fact that there is so much concentrated focus and loyalty by our residents on shopping local at every opportunity.
“The provision of a Post Office service in a local town such as Bridge of Allan is massively important and especially with this being a main Post Office, which can handle much more services such as passports and banking; it is a true hub of the community.
“Given so many recent bank closures in the locality and as Shadow Minister for Older People, I am very much aware of the potential effect of this situation on our elderly or disabled residents, as they may not be able to travel further afield to access services, plus many older residents may not have access to online facilities.”
