THE FUTURE OF POST OFFICE SERVICES IN KILWINNING TOWN CENTRE

Today I met with Mark Gibson (no relation) External Affairs Manager, Post Office Ltd, to discuss the future of Post Office services in Kilwinning town centre.

The current post office in the town centre is located in RS MCColls which is set for closure in January 2023, leaving the future of post office services in doubt, causing widespread concern.

However, Post Office Ltd is doing all it can to ensure that Kilwinning town centre continues to have access to Post Office services and a number of options are actively being explored. However, it is likely that there will be a gap in Post Office services provision on the Main Street, between McColl’s closing and any alternative location being established.

With the current pressures on all small businesses, not least due to energy costs, postmasters are facing difficult financial pressures so I am pressing the UK Government to provide more support for postmasters to ensure that our post offices – a vital part of the social infrastructure of our communities – survive these difficult times. I am deeply disappointed that my calls to the UK Government for more energy support for small businesses beyond 31 March 2023 has not received a more constructive and positive response.

However, I will continue to make this case. Not least because Kilwinning’s businesses and residents need access to Post Office services in their town centre, and this need is all the more urgent, after being abandoned by the banks and will continue to liaise with Post Office Ltd to secure a positive outcome for Kilwinning residents.