Royal Mail issues statement after letters not delivered in Thornbury

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https://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/26 ... thornbury/

Royal Mail has issued a strong statement after letters were not delivered in Thornbury.

Concerns have been raised over growing postal delays in the town and surrounding areas, with claims that staff shortages are leading to undelivered mail and missed appointments.

A Thornbury postal worker, who asked not to be named, said: "I have been a postal worker for many decades and watched from inside the slow destruction of this once-brilliant public service.

"This has been an ongoing problem that started with privatisation and shows no signs of stopping."

The worker said every office is currently understaffed and that parcels, considered more profitable, are being prioritised over traditional mail.

They said: "We are now in a situation where every office is running understaffed.

"This is while parcels are prioritised over mail, which is not profitable to the service.

"Mail just builds up.

"We physically don’t have people to deliver it."

They warned that without intervention, the situation will only deteriorate.

They said: "Anyone can see this is a long-term strategy by the service to remove or degrade mail.

"It will continue to do this unless the government steps in."

In response Royal Mail said the changes reflect long-term shifts in communication and delivery needs.

Its spokesman said: "There are a lot of claims here, but it is worth putting them in the wider context of how much the postal service has changed over the past 20 years – that’s a better explanation for the pressures the business is facing and why the service has needed to change.

"Letter volumes have fallen significantly since the early 2000s (from 20 billion to 6.3 billion now) while the number of addresses we deliver to has continued to grow.

"That means the network is delivering fewer letters to more homes across a much larger delivery footprint.

"The result is that the cost and complexity of running the letters network has increased, even as the volume of letters being sent has fallen."

The company emphasised the growing demand for parcel deliveries and next-day service.

A spokesman added: "The current service was designed for a world where people sent far more letters than they do today.

"The reforms are about making the service reflect how people now use it, while protecting the core principle that sits behind it, a universal, one-price-goes-anywhere service across the UK."

MP Claire Young said the issue is widespread, with residents missing important appointments and communications.

Ms Young said: "I’ve had scores of cases which we have worked on related to this issue across the constituency.

"Some people have missed vital medical appointments because confirmation letters have arrived after the date of the treatment.

"Late delivery of post is an issue that has been going on for far too long, and it is unacceptable."

She said Royal Mail needs to be held accountable for the ongoing problems.

Ms Young said: "Ofcom must be given the powers to hold Royal Mail to account.

"This situation is not the individual postal worker’s fault.

"Royal Mail needs to urgently address staff shortages."