Fears have been raised that the modernisation of a Moray post office could actually lead to services being reduced in the town.
A consultation is underway about the possibility of converting the Fochabers branch from a traditional counter to a terminal at the main till.
However, staff at the post office are concerned the loss of a dedicated counter could lead to privacy and security issues.
Post office manager Glenda Pride said: “At the moment, there is privacy when you are doing your personal banking, but if you are next to your fellow shoppers, they’ll know how much you have in your account and how much you are withdrawing.”
She added: “We do a lot of business banking, and sometimes there’s thousands of pound to be banked. At the moment, we are in a sealed kiosk, but I’m not sure how that’s going to work at the shop till.”
The Post Office has introduced the changes because the branch is not busy enough to justify the current arrangements. After the switch, the services will be available longer, but without dedicated staff.
Fochabers Lhanbryde councillor Sean Morton said: “I’m very worried about the possibility that Fochabers might end up with inferior Post Office services. Local people have long valued the help of the well-trained staff who work there.
“While I accept that times change and demand for services changes, I don’t accept that the need for secure and safe transactions has lessened.
“I think local people want a like-for-like replacement of the Post Office and I will argue for that strongly.”
The Post Office confirmed that services would be maintained at the new branch, with only slight changes in travel insurance.
A spokeswoman said: “The Post Office is introducing new models of branches which will help improve their profitability and benefit our customers through longer opening hours and modern retail environments. This includes Fochabers Post Office.”
A Co-op spokeswoman said: “As a community retailer, we remain committed to providing post office services.
“Our new-look services will be open for longer, including Sundays. We’re in consultation with colleagues affected by these changes.”
The deadline for comments about the consultation is July 21. Views can be emailed to comments@postoffice.co.uk or by phoning 03457 22 33 44.
