An Aberdeenshire town will lose its post office services at the end of the month, it has been announced.
The Post Office counter in Portsoy will close from Monday, October 31.
The branch has been based in Portsoy Ice Cream on Seafield Street for the past 13 years but is now being forced to close due to the resignation of the postmaster.
Post Office has apologised in advance for the inconvenience which will be caused and said it is investigating the options to reinstate services for the community.
It has stressed the closure is being treated as temporary.
A letter to customers confirming the closure states: “The provision of a Post Office service to our customers in the local community is important to us, and we will continue to work hard to restore services in the area as soon as possible.”
‘Hammer blow to community’
The post office in Portsoy was run by sub-postmaster Jim Smith for 19 years from Culbert Street before moving to the ice cream shop in June 2009.
The premises has now been withdrawn for Post Office use, which is further contributing to the closure.
Banff and Buchan MP David Duguid has described the closure as a “hammer blow” to the community – which includes many people who rely on the services daily.
He said: “It’s disappointing and concerning that the village will now be left without a post office during these challenging times.
“This will especially make it difficult for older and more vulnerable residents who now face a ten-mile round trip to the likes of Whitehills and Cullen.”
The Whitehills post office is located around five miles from the Portsoy branch and is open seven days a week.
The other closest alternative is based in Cullen, around 5.4 miles away, and is open between Monday and Saturday.
Seeking new premises
A vacancy has now been shared online seeking applicants to set up a new Post Office in the Portsoy area.
Applications are open to retailers in the area that could incorporate Post Office services into their established business.
The closing date for applications is Saturday, November 26.
As well as sharing his concerns about the upcoming closure with Post Office, Mr Duguid is also encouraging local businesses to help restores services in the town.
He continued: “I have written to the Post Office and spoken to the community council in a bid to ensure we do everything possible to keep a postal facility in the village.
“The importance of rural post offices cannot be understated but we have seen an alarming number of closures across Aberdeenshire communities this year.
“This is why I encourage anyone who believes they could fill this void in Portsoy to get in touch with the Post Office to express their interest.”
The confirmation of the Portsoy closure follows that in Potterton in April and the branch on West High street in Inverurie back in January.
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