MP Questions Post Office move to W H Smith’s

Sandra Osborne MP has raised concerns over the announcement that Ayr Post Office is to move from the Sandgate into W H Smith’s whose store is based in the High Street. This is part of a franchise of 11 Crown POs in Scotland to W H Smith’s announced by Royal Mail.
She said
“We have only just had the Government’s proposals for the future of the post office network. I carried out extensive consultations throughout the constituency on this. It is welcomed that there is to be long term financial investment, the development of new community based post office services, a replacement for the Post Office Card Account and a guarantee that everyone will have a post office within reasonable travelling distance.

Now out of the blue and separate from this planned restructuring of the network comes this franchise deal for Crown Post Offices. Surely this should have been kept back to be part of the whole restructuring programme. Royal Mail have said there will be a consultation but we shall see how genuine a consultation that is.

I also have questions for the Royal Mail on the future of the Sandgate building which has had considerable sums of money spent on modernisation. I also want to know where the staff currently employed at the Post Office stand

Most important of all, what about the customers many of whom are elderly or have mobility problems? The High Street is semi pedestrianised and you can’t drive down it. Many who can get a bus to the Sandgate or Burns Statue Square don’t have access to a bus service going down the High Street.

This may well be a good business deal for W H Smith’s and possibly for the Royal Mail too. But does it serve the best interests of the Post Office customers. I will be looking for answers to these questions”