Post Office branches in nine Tayside and Fife communities will close over the next 10 weeks, we can reveal.
The move comes two months after Spar announced it was axing counter services at three of its stores in Tayside and six in Fife.
The company said closing the loss-making services would help ensure the shops continued to operate.
Counters at Menzieshill in Dundee and Luncarty in Perthshire shut earlier this month.
And the Post Office has just announced closure dates for the remaining seven counters in Stanley, Ladybank, Balmullo, Newport, St Andrews Tom Morris Drive, Thornton and East Wemyss.
The first will shut next week and all will be gone by November 9.
What happens next?
The Post Office closures have been described as a significant blow for the affected communities.
Thousands of people have signed a petition set up by Newport woman Betty Martin in protest.
And 1,300 others signed an online petition calling for the retention of all four north east Fife branches.
Post Office bosses say they want to restore services as soon as possible.
And they are investigating several options while urging potential retail partners to apply to run the counters.
In the meantime, short-term arrangements will be put in place in north east Fife where there are no alternative services nearby.
However, others elsewhere face a journey of up to four miles to reach their nearest branch.
When will your Post Office close?
- Thornton – August 31
- East Wemyss – September 7
- Balmullo – September 21
- Stanley – September 28
- Ladybank- October 14
- Newport – October 19
- St Andrews Tom Morris Drive – November 9
In north Fife, arrangements will include additional mobile and outreach services.
This could mean accessing Post Office counters in public buildings, including libraries, until permanent bases are found.
The postmaster in Dairsie has agreed to take on the extra service for now, taking in Ladybank, Balmullo, Newport and St Andrews.
Ladybank library has already been earmarked as one location from October 18.
But the Post Office is still working with Fife Council in a bid to identify suitable buildings elsewhere.
Additional mobile Post Office stops are also being considered.
Post Office needs to do better
However, vehicle breakdowns in other areas of Fife have prompted concerns from North East Fife MSP Willie Rennie.
“The Post Office needs to do better than this,” he said.
“A mobile service isn’t mobile if it constantly breaks down.”
The Liberal Democrat MSP welcomed the interim solution but said permanent bases must be found.
“We need the Post Office to pull out all the stops to get permanent full-time post office services to all of the communities that are losing out.
“St Andrews needs a full-time replacement for Tom Morris Drive.
“It looks like Dairsie Post Office will be very busy supporting Balmullo, St Andrews, Ladybank and Newport.
“They are very good and I wish them well but we will need full-time services located locally for these places.”
The loss of the Post Office will be a significant blow.”
John Swinney MSP.
Meanwhile, SNP MSP John Swinney is still worried about the impact of Post Office closures on elderly people in his Perthshire constituency.
The nearest branches to Stanley are in Murthly or Bankfoot, both of which are almost four miles away.
“The loss of the Post Office will be a significant blow to the residents of Stanley, and may make life particularly difficult for elderly residents or those who have difficulty travelling to the nearest branch,” Mr Swinney said.
“”It is my hope that a long-term solution can be reached that will restore these services and I would encourage any interested parties to make contact with the Post Office to discuss this further.”
Post Office still seeking solutions
The Post Office says it is still committed to finding long-term solutions for all affected customers.
A spokesperson said: “With the assistance of a nearby Postmaster, we will be adding additional mobile Post Office stops for some communities or establishing outreach services for others to help provide access to services.
“We are finalising plans for many locations and these will be announced as arrangements are confirmed.”