The re-opening of two Post Office branches in Aberdeen city centre will restore vital services to the community.
The George Street and Castlegate branches are both being restored this week with new postmaster, Amothen Kandasamy.
Post Office services will be available within Londis stores on a temporary basis while they work towards finding a more permanent solution.
The George Street Post Office opened at its new location on Monday while the Castlegate branch, now located on Union Street, will open its doors on Friday.
MSP Douglas Lumsden, who has previously raised concerns about the impact of Post Office closures, welcomed the news.
He said: “Post Offices are hugely important to our high streets. That’s why people in Aberdeen have been very vocal about changes to branches and hours over the last several years.
“I think the return of counters in George Street and Castlegate is a vote of confidence from the Post Office. As we recover from the pandemic, I’m hopeful this will drive footfall and help other shops prosper.”
Opening in time for Christmas
Sandra Macdonald, councillor for the George Street and Harbour ward, was also “delighted” to hear about the return of Post Office services in the city.
She said: “I am delighted to hear of these two re-openings in the heart of the city. Many people live and work in the city centre and depend upon the services of a local post office, especially the elderly.
“I commend Post Office Ltd and the businesses for finding a solution to make this happen. And hopefully in time for Santa too.”
The former branches on Castle Street and George Street closed in July 2021 and February 2020 respectively.
Figures obtained by The Press and Journal showed that branches have more than halved across the north and north-east during the last 20 years.
There were a number of reasons for these closures, including the retirement of postmasters with no replacement being in place – which was the case for the George Street and Castlegate branches.
Their return to the city centre will greatly benefit the community, especially those considered the most vulnerable.
Robert Sharp, Post Office network provision lead, said: “We are delighted to be restoring Post Office services to George Street and Castlegate in time for the busy Christmas period.
“We know how important a Post Office is to a community and we are pleased that we have been able to open both branches in quick succession. Both branches will be open from early until late seven days a week.”
The George Street branch will be open between 6am and 10pm while the Castlegate branch will be open from 7am until 11pm every day.
Closures in the Granite City
Earlier this year, it was announced that five Post Office branches in Aberdeen would be closing, so the re-opening of the city centre branches will benefit the wider community.
The branches in Kincorth, Seaton and Torry were closed in August while the Clifton Road branch was permanently shut last month.
The Post Office counter in Northfield is expected to close in February next year.
Mr Lumsden spoke out about his concerns around the “extremely concerning” closures in the north-east at Holyrood in September.
At the time, he said: “Older people who use cash and their local bank or post office are finding it increasingly impossible to manage their money because more and more barriers are being put in their way.
“It’s vital that people aren’t excluded from society due to a lack of infrastructure in communities.”