The Post Office have announced that they are introducing a “lighter” replacement service in Neilston.

The village has been without a Post Office since the branch on Main Street closed on January 13, following the resignation of the postmaster, and the closing date for those applying to take on the service passed in February without a single application.

It has meant that in the time since, the nearest alternatives have been Barrhead Post Office in Cross Arthurlie Street and Auchenback Post Office in Aurs Drive.

In collaboration with Payzone, however, a new lighter format Post Office service will soon be available in Main Street in Neilston.

The Post Office said: “The service will be one of our drop & collect branches, which is one of our lighter, flexible branch formats developed to take advantage of the opportunities a vibrant, and increasingly competitive, parcels market offers.

“The new drop & collect at 77-79 Main Street will offer Post Office services from a handheld device, providing convenient access for customers to bill payments and prepaid parcel collections and returns.

“To maximise accessibility to these services that our customers are increasingly seeking, more complex services like personal and business banking will not be available at this branch.”

The new service will commence on Tuesday, November 26 at 1pm.

The opening times will be Monday to Saturday 7am to 6pm, and 8.30am to 1pm on Sundays.

A mobile top-up service will also be on offer.

A wider range of Post Office services, however, will continue to be available at the Barrhead branches in Cross Arthurlie Street and Aurs Road.

Councillor Andrew Morrison told the Barrhead news: “Whilst this is not a direct like for like replacement with a loss of some post office services, most people’s needs from a Post Office will be delivered locally in the village again which I welcome.

“Given the shocking revelations such as the Horizon scandal which have been widely publicised since the last Post Office closed, the task of finding someone else to take on this role would I’m sure have been made more difficult.

“Recent proposals to transfer ownership of the Post Office to sub-postmasters is an interesting one which may help restore confidence and fuller provision of service.”

MSP Paul O’Kane, who recently said he would leave “no stone unturned” in the continued search for a solution to the village’s lack of a Post Office, also commented on the news.

He said: “Whilst this is welcomed and encouraging it is still not a full service for the village, so I hope that in time by continuing to engage with Post Office services can expand.”