South Shropshire MP Stuart Anderson has voiced concerns over impending postal reform, warning that local communities must not be left behind as Royal Mail introduces alternate-day deliveries across parts of the region.
The trial, currently underway at the Royal Mail Delivery Office in Welshpool, affects non-first-class letters. Under the pilot scheme, second-class post is delivered on alternate weekdays between Monday and Friday, whilst Saturday letter deliveries have been removed entirely.
Welshpool is one of 240 delivery offices across the UK testing the operational changes. A broader rollout is scheduled to reach 1,200 delivery offices by Christmas 2026, extending the scheme to further South Shropshire communities, including Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Craven Arms, and Church Stretton.
The changes follow regulatory approval from Ofcom, which reduced Royal Mail’s overall performance targets last year. The requirement for first-class mail delivered the next day was lowered from 93% to 90%, while the target for second-class mail was reduced from 98.5% to 95% within three working days.
Royal Mail attributed the operational shift to a steep decline in letter volumes. Annual mail traffic in the UK has dropped by over 70%, down from 20 billion letters at its peak in 2004–05 to approximately 6 billion today. The average household now receives four letters per week, compared to 14 two decades ago, even as the number of UK delivery addresses has grown by four million.
In correspondence with Mr Anderson, Royal Mail stated that without structural reform, the cost of maintaining its universal service obligation, delivering to 32 million UK addresses at a uniform price, would continue to rise, restricting its ability to invest in wider services.
To address performance, Royal Mail has set out a £500 million, five-year improvement plan. The company aims to hit the newly reduced targets within 12 months and has created scope for 6,000 part-time postal workers to increase their weekly hours where required.
Mr Anderson emphasised that any restructures must deliver tangible results for rural constituency areas, noting that reliable postal services remain essential for older residents and households without internet access.
While Royal Mail informed the MP that local collections and overall delivery standards are not expected to be negatively impacted, Mr Anderson confirmed he is monitoring the Welshpool rollout closely. He has asked constituents experiencing delays or service issues to contact his office directly so the cases can be raised with Royal Mail management.