The questionnaire which has run in the Forfar Dispatch and Kirriemuir Herald over the last two weeks has been filled in by over 300 residents - many from outwith the town who do not want to lose what they recognise as a vital service to the immediate community, and those further afield.

Whilst members of the community council prepare to meet on Thursday evening, Mrs Ross stated all the responses would be collated and sent off to the official Post Office consultation team.

However, we have extended the deadline for responses to July 1 to enable anyone who has not already given their view to fill in the form in time for the July 8 official consultation deadline.

Mrs Ross stated the strength of feeling had been overwhelming, with a number of residents questioning whether the main post office in West High Street would be able to cope with the increased level of customers.

She passed on a number of concerns at the public meeting in St John's Church Hall on Monday evening, and urged any resident who has not filled in the questionnaire to please do so.

She stated the meeting, organised by Mike Weir M.P. and attended by Connie Hewitt and colleagues from Post Office Limited, Chris Thirkettle of Postwatch, John Swinney MSP and local councillors Glennis Middleton and Bill Middleton, had enabled a number of issues to be raised.

Community councillor Freda Napier questioned if one post office would be able to serve a town the size of Forfar, with a population of 13,500.

Disabled access

Mrs Ross said: "There were a number of concerns from members of the public including access for the disabled at the main post office.

"Some local residents expressed concerns about the implications any closure of the Dundee Road Post Office would have on the Co-op store.

"Others listed lack of on street parking, particularly for the disabled on West High Street, the distance from the Myre car park to the Post Office, and the difficulty for wheelchair/buggy users to get into the West High Street Post Office."

Other points raised were the length of time customers have to wait, with claims some had to wait over an hour to be served, whilst there was no shelter from the elements when customers had to queue outside.

"Another point raised was that business customers cannot afford to pay a member of staff to stand in a post office queue for such things as car taxation or posting parcels or mail."

Locations

During the meeting Mrs Ross compared the two post office locations and asked why a beauty salon, hairdresser, haberdashery, library, baker, shoe shop, fish shop, pub, newsagent and three coffee shops were worthy of mention in the Post Office's report, but no mention was made of the nearest supermarket which was a considerable distance from the West High Street Post Office.

"This is what the people using the Dundee Road Post Office have got at present, and that is what they need - somewhere to do their bit of shopping and their postal business at the same time."

She stated the Dundee Road Post Office was convenient for the people from the surrounding housing schemes - a lot of elderly or infirm could still manage to get to the Co-op and collect their pension and do their shopping.

She continued: "With the bus depot closing there is also the possibility of a reduction in bus services - what then?"

After the meeting Mrs Ross stated: "The Post Office team does not appear to have done their homework regarding either the geographic or demographic area, particularly in relation to the distance from the Myre car park for disabled parking.

"If they "walked the walk" then they should have been more aware of the problems people were raising at the meeting."