WHITEFORD HEARS OF ST COMBS ISSUES AND PRAISES COMMUNITY SPIRIT

SNP Westminster candidate for Banff & Buchan Eilidh Whiteford has praised the community spirit of St Combs following a series of visits and meetings in the village.
Dr Whiteford paid a visit to the village Post Office where she met with sub-postmistress Ann Pirie and local residents. The Post Office will close in its present location in April due to the retirement of Ann and it is understood that several local businesses are expressing interest in taking on the running of the lifeline facility.

The SNP candidate also attended the consultation on the proposed replacement for St Combs Community Hall which was destroyed by fire last year which was held in the St Combs Kirkie.

Speaking afterwards, Eilidh Whiteford commented:

"Village halls and Post Offices are the cornerstones of many of our smaller communities. To lose the community hall due to vandalism was a huge blow and one from which some communities may not have recovered.

"However, it was clear to me from the first public meeting I attended in St Combs after the fire that this was a village with an extremely strong sense of community spirit. That was in evidence again on Saturday at the public consultation on the proposals for a replacement hall held in the Kirkie. There are some very positive proposals being put forward and the hall committee are to be commended for involving the entire community in this way.

"Similarly, with the impending retirement of Ann as the village postmistress, I was delighted to hear from local residents that other local businesses have expressed an interest in providing the lifeline Post Office service.

"I will be contacting Post Office management to ensure that the village does not suffer any undue delays while the new Post Office service is being worked up."