Councillor Howard Sykes says Royal Mail fail to follow their own rules re the missing post box (nearly 10 months now) at the entrance to Dunwood Park Courts, Milnrow Road, Shaw, Oldham.
Copy of letter I have sent today – my 10th about this matter!
See my first and his response in January:
23 August 2016
Mr Steve Buckley, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Royal Mail Plc, 100 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0HQ
Dear Mr Buckley,
Re: Disappearance of Royal Mail Post Box, Dunwood Park Courts, Shaw, Oldham.
Thank you for your recent letter of 7 August to which I replied on 15 August. Whilst I am grateful for your response, we are still no further forward and this is now my ninth communication with you about this matter.
This particular Post Box has been missing since November 2015 and it is a disgrace and a scandal that the residents of Dunwood Park Courts and surrounding area have been without a Post Box for nine whole months. The majority of these residents are elderly, infirm or disabled and are having to travel to simply post a letter.
I must express my disappointment in the lack of urgency in your response; while you have given vague responses, you have as yet failed to supply a date to reinstate this Post Box.
Other Post Boxes have been replaced, why not this one?
Ofcom’s most recently published statement on regulatory protections for the provision of postboxes states that Royal Mail must ensure that:
- there is a post box within 0.5 miles by straight line distance of at least 98% of delivery points (i.e. people’s houses) nationally; and
- for the remaining 2% of delivery points, Royal Mail must provide sufficient access points or other means of access to the universal service (e.g. collection on delivery from very remote or isolated locations such as farmhouses) to meet the reasonable needs of users.
How does the failure to replace or relocate this post box comply with the above?
I have also attached a copy of Royal Mails own protocols for mail box removal and relocation.
I have highlighted a number of sections that appear to have not been followed with this postbox. They are reproduced in full below.
When a box needs to be taken out of service, either temporarily sealed or permanently removed, a notice will be displayed to tell customers why and give details of the nearest 3 alternative posting facilities.
Not aware the above has been complied with.
Where it is possible to do so, we will provide a four week notification to consumers when we plan to remove or relocate a box. However, sometimes a four week period is not possible because a significant proportion of removals and relocations are due to events outside of our control – such as when a box is damaged or stolen.
Appreciate four weeks is not always possible but this is now nine months!
If we have to remove a posting box
Before we take a decision to remove a postbox, a number of things are taken into consideration:
- Whether the original issue can be overcome
- Feasibility of repairing a box
- Finding a suitable alternative site
- The distance to and location of the next nearest 3 alternative boxes
- That the needs of customer in the area will still be met if the box isn’t replaced
- The number of delivery points which may now be further than half a mile from a box
Nine months on not aware any of the above has been done?
Therefore, and I take no pleasure in being so blunt and direct but the other eight approaches about this matter have not helped resolve matters for my constituents.
A detailed and considered response to the highlighted sections from your own protocols would be appreciated.
I would also expect a specific and detailed response and a date of if and when this Post Box will be replaced or relocated.
I would urge you to replace this particular one or relocate VERY nearby as the elderly residents are in need of a local Post Box.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely – Howard Sykes
Royal Mail protocol for postbox removal and relocation (off their web site)
https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/132/related/1
We are committed to retaining our ‘six days a week’ collection from all our 115,000 postboxes. In the
UK, we have one of the highest numbers and densities of postboxes in Europe and this hasn’t changed over the past decade.
From time to time, it may become necessary to remove or relocate a postbox. We don’t remove boxes due to under-utilisation. There are, however, various reasons why we might have to take a box out of service:
- A risk to the safety of our postmen and postwomen
- The security of the mail in a particular postbox may be compromised
- Building works mean it’s not possible to access a postbox
- Re-routing of traffic, making it dangerous for us to collect from a postbox
- A request to remove a postbox from private land by the landowner
- Damage to a box due to a road traffic accident
When a box needs to be taken out of service, either temporarily sealed or permanently removed, a notice will be displayed to tell customers why and give details of the nearest 3 alternative posting facilities.
Where it is possible to do so, we will provide a four week notification to consumers when we plan to remove or relocate a box. However, sometimes a four week period is not possible because a significant proportion of removals and relocations are due to events outside of our control – such as when a box is damaged or stolen.
If we have to remove a posting box
Before we take a decision to remove a postbox, a number of things are taken into consideration:
- Whether the original issue can be overcome
- Feasibility of repairing a box
- Finding a suitable alternative site
- The distance to and location of the next nearest 3 alternative boxes
- That the needs of customer in the area will still be met if the box isn’t replaced
- The number of delivery points which may now be further than half a mile from a box
If a postbox has to be relocated
Where we have to relocate a postbox we will always:
- Inform customers of the reason why, via a notice on or near the box
- Consult appropriate parties, such as local councils, land owners and engineering contractors;
- Complete relocation/repair work within reasonable timescales, usually six months.
What to do if you have a problem
- If you would like to discuss the removal or relocation of a box in your area or you are experiencing a problem, please contact us using the help centre link to the right of this page.
- To help us answer your query, please remember to note the location of the box and its individual identification number.