No Post Office confirmation, but Oak plan is safe

The national headquarters of the Post Office was still unable to confirm or deny this week the “common knowledge” in Lanark that the owner of a former newsagents shop in Bannatyne Street had won the franchise to be the new postmaster and would run the business from that premises, once converted.

That would mean that the existing, 1960s purpose-built Post Office in St Leonard Street would cease to be used; it’s existing operator has made clear his intention to withdraw from the postal franchise as soon as a replacment was found for him.

Before there is any relocation, the Post Office has issued an assurance that there will be a full consultaion of the public.

As a side-issue – albeit an important one – the Gazette has established that any award of the new post office to the former newsagents won’t scupper plans to eventually refurbish the nearby redundant Royal Oak Hotel.

There is planning permission for part of the bottom floor of that building to be used as a post office while the former rooms above are converted into private flats.

An agent for the building’s owners has assured the Gazette that, even if the post office contract has gone elsewhere, the refurbishment and flats conversion WILL go ahead but with a catering outlet on the bottom floor.

For more on this, pick up a copy of this week’s Carluke and Lanark Gazette.