Whilst I am delighted Moredun Post Office has finally reopened, there are still serious concerns over the future of branches at the Inch and Buckstone.

I met with representatives of Post Office Ltd this month to discuss the future of these branches. I stressed the importance of these Post Offices to the local community. Both the Inch and Buckstone are very settled communities with a high proportion of elderly residents who are dependent on post office services, particularly for pensions.

I am confident that the Post Office understand the importance of these branches and they have committed to continuing their search for new operators. The difficulty is that, apart from a handful of Crown Offices, the Post Office do not directly operate Post Offices. Therefore they are reliant on potential partners taking on the franchise. It is not a particularly lucrative business without substantial additional retail to support the Post Office services therefore finding a franchisee can be difficult.

I will continue to pressure the Post Office to keep searching, and engaging with local businesses.

If you (or anyone you know) are interested, please get in touch with me or Post Office Ltd for more information.