On New Year’s Day - as families across Scotland celebrated the beginning of 2015 - Andy Doig was hard at work.

The SNP man was contacting The Gazette to express his delight at Royal Mail’s plans to site a new post box in Lochwinnoch, one of the villages he represents.

And the councillor, who also represents Johnstone and Kilbarchan, also took the opportunity to promise he would do all he can for voters in his ward during the next 12 months — and beyond.

He said: “I have made a New Year’s resolution to ensure village services are as good as they can be in 2015.

“It is absolutely vital that Lochwinnoch retains as many of its essential village services as possible for the well being of the whole community.” And Doig’s promise to do his utmost for Renfrewshire residents has got off to a great start with Royal Mail not only confirming the new post box would be up and running soon — but also installing it just after the new year.

He explained: “I took up the campaign for a new post box at the request of constituents in the village.

“It is fair to say that, with the controversial move of the Post Office into the Spar Store, and the demise of the Royal Bank branch, a sense of uncertainly was afoot in Lochwinnoch about its essential services.

“One constituent had the foresight to inform me that with the demise of the Post Office, Lochwinnoch had no free standing post box, which is essential”.

“Recently I took the matter up with Royal Mail as a village of some 3,000 residents obviously generates a fair volume of mail, even today.

“Since October 2014 a number of wall mounted Post Boxes in Lochwinnoch have had restricted use, and were in any event nothing like the size that a free standing post box can provide, so there was a definite and proven need.

“I am delighted to say that at the end of December I received a reply from Royal Mail which stated that a new free standing post box would be installed outside the McKillop Institute.

“I agree that being just across from the new Post Office at the Spar, and in the centre of the village, this location makes sense for a number of reasons.” Royal Mail’s decision to install a new post box in Lochwinnoch not only delighted Doig — but he took the development as proof that they are willing to work with him to improve the village.

And he is still in contact with them to try and make life easier for his constituents.

He explained: “People tend not to like change, but I do think there are still issues around the need to improve access into the new Post Office in the Spar Shop. This was promised by Royal Mail but has not yet happened. I am currently pursuing it with them.”