A move to franchise Perth post office has been slammed, with one councillor describing the plan as “absolutely farcical”.
The Post Office confirmed that Perth is one of five Scottish branches identified to be “partially partnered with a retailer”.
In what the Post Office has termed “the biggest business transformation programme in the history of the service”, a six-week public consultation will take place to gather the views of people in Perth.
Fears were expressed for the future of the post office in South Street and its 12 employees. Crown post offices have historically been located in city or town centres.
The Post Office has 25 such sites in Scotland and said they will remain the same if no retail partner is found. The five Scottish post offices identified for retail franchise are Perth, Alloa, Cumbernauld, East Kilbride and Stornoway. The move has come under fire from Perthshire politicians.
Pete Wishart, MP for Perth and North Perthshire, said it was a “very worrying development” which “seriously undermines the credibility” of the Post Office.
“The reality is that no one benefits from these plans and it is simply the next stage in the ideologically driven privatisation of the postal service,” he said.
“I am keeping a very close eye on the development of these proposals. This scheme has clearly been drawn up by someone with a plan, a map and not a single clue about the actual circumstances of the post office in Perth or, I suspect, elsewhere.
“The South Street premises are excellently situated and well-frequented. Anyone who has used their services, or even walked by at their busiest times, will tell you that, even with all counters going, the queues can be lengthy because of the amount of people looking to transact their business there.”
Moves to franchise five post offices in Scotland have been criticised.
The Post Office confirmed that Perth and Alloa are among the branches identified “partially partnered with a retailer”. A six-week public consultation will take place.