Following Royal Mail’s confirmation that the Anstruther Royal Mail delivery office will be closing imminently, Wendy Chamberlain MP wrote to Royal Mail expressing concern over the closure and asking for clarity on whether they carried out any community engagement prior to their decision.
The letter also urges Royal Mail to share any assessments they have made regarding the impact of the closure on both staff and the public, particularly in relation to the limited transport links for the KY10 postcode area for those who may not be able to drive to the Leven location.
Ms Chamberlain also wrote to the Post Office because the closure of the delivery office comes at the same time as the opening of a Cash Access Hub in Anstruther.
The letter asks whether the Post Office have engaged with Royal Mail over the need for postal services in Anstruther and asks for a meeting to further discuss this.
She said: “I’m deeply concerned by the Royal Mail’s decision to close the Anstruther Delivery Office because of the impact this will have on the local community.
“I’ve had constituents tell me that they rely on the Delivery Office for sending packages for their small businesses and I’m concerned by the impact this closure will have on them.
“Just a few months ago, Willie and I visited the Delivery Office and saw for ourselves just how vital this local service is here in Anstruther, and it’s a shame that this service will be lost.
“I’m glad there won’t be any redundancies, but it’s wrong for the staff who live in the East Neuk who will now have to make long journeys to work at the Leven branch. It will also inconvenience anyone who has to collect an undelivered parcel.
“Royal Mail have set out some mitigations for the change, but it doesn’t make up for the loss of a local service.”