I am sorry to inform you that our campaign has not persuaded Royal Mail to keep the Whitchurch Local Delivery Office open.
I met a senior Royal Mail manager on 27 March when he announced, as a concession to the campaign waged locally against relocation of the service to Basingstoke, that the national charge of 50p for collection of undelivered mail from local Post Offices would be waived for Whitchurch and Overton.
I continued to correspond with Royal Mail opposing their plans while asking for clarification until, at a meeting belatedly convened by the Borough Council on 7 April, they made it clear that the decision was made and would not be changed. I don’t think it is in anybody’s interests to pretend that there is still a chance of the campaign being successful.
The Royal Mail premises in Whitchurch have been sold and leased back since our last campaign four years ago. Royal Mail now pay approximately £10,000 a year to lease this former Victorian Head Post Office from the new owners.
Royal Mail insist that the costs of keeping the Whitchurch LDO open are too high, closing it means that the large vehicle that brings mail to Whitchurch can be taken off the road and the person who stays in the office to deal with customers can be given a new job in Basingstoke. Local postmen and women will report to Basingstoke for work; half of them drive vans on their rounds, the other half will be brought back here in those vans.
When mail is undelivered for whatever reason, people can arrange free redelivery with the normal post on a day of their choice or for the item to be sent to the local Post Office for pick-up by the customer. In view of our local campaign, Royal Mail will waive the national standard 50 pence charge for collection from Post Offices in Whitchurch and Overton.
This is not a good service. Requests for redelivery or local pick-up have to be made by phone or on-line before 5.0 p.m., then the standard time for the item to get back to Whitchurch is twenty-four hours starting from the next morning. I am very disappointed that Royal Mail have not changed their minds in the light of very strong local protests.
regards
Keith Watts
Liberal Democrat Borough Councillor for Whitchurch Ward
You can contact the campaign team via Councillor Keith Watts at:
Published and promoted by Keith Watts, 15 Newbury Street, Whitchurch, Hampshire, RG28 7DW. Printed and hosted by 1&1 Internet Limited, The Nova Building, Herschel Street, Slough, SL1 1XS.Councillor Keith Watts
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Whitchurch
(01256) 896969
keith.watts@bcs.org.uk