Ongoing Post Office closure affects town’s cash flow

UNCERTAINTY about access to cash hangs over Moffat, after the town’s post office was closed unexpectedly last month. The branch within Benmar Services has been closed since February 27. Offering an explanation at the time, a spokesperson said: “To you all, we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience which is out of our control. “The new owners have not updated the postmaster paperwork so due to legal reasons we have to shut the post office until we can get this resolved.” But a fortnight later, there are still no signs of the post office reopening, and concern is growing locally about access to cash. One Moffat resident commented this week: “It has caused a lot of heartache for a hell of a lot of people, particularly the elderly folk in the town. “When negotiations were taking place to take over the business, surely the Post Office should have been top of the agenda to ensure it would be able to operate under the prospective new owners.” Previously, the Post Office was identified as the solution to the loss of Moffat’s only bank by LINK – the body which manages the UK’s ATM network. They recommended extended opening hours; a free cash deposit service for personal and businesses accounts and free cash withdrawals for personal and business accounts. Now Moffat and District Community Council have gone back to LINK in the hope of finding a solution. Replying to them, a spokesperson for LINK said: “We are aware of the closure of the Post Office in Moffat. This was an unexpected immediate closure. “While the Post Office is hoping to put a temporary service in place, we will begin our assessment process to carry out an access to cash review. We will keep you informed of the outcome once the assessment is complete.” Benmar was recently sold to Grove Retail Limited. They have been approached for a comment.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Post Office last night confirmed that they are looking to restore the service swiftly, adding: ‘’We understand how important Post Office services are to communities and we’re very sorry for the inconvenience and concern caused by the sudden closure of the above branch, especially to those who must travel further to access the services they require. “Regretfully, Moffat Post Office closed suddenly and as we were not provided with prior notice of the closure, we were unable to provide official notice to our customers. “We do wish to maintain a Post Office service in Moffat and we’re currently working to reinstate service at the site. We’re considering all available options, including an interim service, whilst we work towards a permanent solution. “We’re aware that the closest branch to Moffat is Johnstonebridge, which is located around eight miles away, so we understand the importance in restoring service to the community. I want to assure you that we’re working to restore service as quickly as is possible and as soon as we have a confirmed proposal or more information, we will provide an update to the community and stakeholders.”