Martin Docherty-Hughes, MP for West Dunbartonshire, has demanded an urgent meeting with Post Office bosses after it was announced that Hardgate Post Office is to remain ‘temporarily closed’.
The SNP MP said that the loss of the local Post Office, which has been closed since February 2017, has had an unacceptable impact on the communities of Hardgate, Faifley and Duntocher.
Post Office Ltd, which runs the Post Office network on behalf of the UK government, said last year that it was committed to restoring services in Hardgate.
However, the branch has now been closed for over 14 months and concerns have been raised that the closure could become permanent if Post Office Ltd fails to secure a suitable alternative operator.
Martin Docherty-Hughes MP said:
“The Post Office plays a critical role in ensuring the vibrancy of our local communities – providing a range of important services to residents and local businesses.
“Post Office bosses say they’re committed to restoring the Post Office at Hardgate, but it’s now over 14 months since it closed and this is having an detrimental impact on our local communities.
“This is completely unacceptable. I have asked for an urgent meeting with Post Office Ltd to press the need for a serious plan to secure a new operator in Hardgate.
“Government guidelines state that urban areas like Hardgate should be within one mile of their nearest Post Office. Yet local residents, who are often elderly and vulnerable, are currently forced to travel up to 3 miles to access the Clydebank branch.
“The communities of Hardgate, Faifley and Duntocher have been left without a Post Office for too long. I will continue doing all I can to ensure that Post Office Ltd fulfils its commitment to returning access to these vital services in Hardgate.”
Any parties interested in the Hardgate Post Office vacancy can find out more at: https://runapostoffice.co.uk/home/result/show/hardgate-post-office-clydebank-g81-6qu.
