Surprise U-turn in postal row

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ROYAL Mail has performed a surprise U-turn in the Wick mailbox controversy and agreed to reinstate the service next to the town-centre post office.

It took the decision after the John O'Groat Journal contacted the company on Tuesday to highlight public opposition and make the case for a rethink.

The change of heart was greeted with delight by community leaders and townspeople.

They saw red after the company closed off the one remaining letter slot in the wall box next to the post office in the town's High Street, and sited a freestanding pillar box on a grassy sward on the opposite side of the road.

The postal firm argued that one of the wall boxes was badly corroded and had been blocked off some time previously.

It was stated that difficulty was being experienced in obtaining replacement wall boxes and that the pavement outside the post office couldn't accommodate a freestanding box. An added complication was the location of underground power lines, so the new box was installed on the other side of the street.

The siting of the new postbox angered residents and first to react publicly last month was sub-postmaster Ronnie Risbridger, who said he was furious about the situation.

He highlighted the inconvenience for the public and the potential danger, particularly for elderly people, who were having to cross the busy A99 road. There was also concern about a lack of consultation which Royal Mail claimed it was not duty-bound to carry out.

The Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council added its protest and, at its latest meeting, members gave alarming eyewitness accounts of pensioners dodging the traffic. A letter was dispatched to the Royal Mail urging it to reconsider.

Following the community council meeting, the John O'Groat Journal this week summarised the concerns to Royal Mail spokeswoman Morag Turnbull.

We highlighted the safety aspect and appealed to the organisation to think again for the good of the community.

Ms Turnbull agreed to pass the comments on to area collections manager Greg Donaldson. A couple of hours later she called back to say that Mr Donaldson had taken Wick's concerns on board and reversed the decision.

It means that a new box is to be custom-made and installed. Ms Turnbull said Royal Mail would work with the community council to achieve this but she could not give a timescale.

The company will also confer on the future of the newly-erected postbox, which cost £3500, including the installation by a Romec engineer.

Community council chairwoman Coreen Campbell received the good news personally in a telephone call from Mr Donaldson on Tuesday.

She commented: "I am absolutely delighted, as I'm sure everyone will be. It was quite a surprise."

She added: "I don't think Royal Mail stopped to think things through initially and I am sure they would have acted differently had they had the benefit of local knowledge."

Mrs Campbell, who deplored the postbox change as "bureaucracy gone mad" when the issue first arose, went on: "It shows what can be achieved when a community gets together and takes a stand.

"However, organisations generally don't like to admit they were wrong and reverse a situation, particularly in a case where there is an outlay of £3500 involved, so full credit to Royal Mail."

Mrs Campbell said she believed that the weight of objections, including people writing to Royal Mail directly, and newspaper publicity had collectively been instrumental in persuading the organisation to change its mind.

She is to consult her fellow community councillors about the future of the postbox and attempt to gauge public opinion. Royal Mail has stated it has an open mind on whether to remove it or let it remain.

Sub-postmaster Ronnie Risbridger said of the U-turn: "Brilliant – the best news I've had for a while." He described it as a victory for common sense and local democracy.

MSP Jamie Stone, who has also campaigned for the status quo, applauded the Wick community for its united stand against what he termed "a farcical and ridiculous situation".

He paid tribute to the John O'Groat Journal and Caithness Courier for the part the newspapers had played in highlighting the issue, as well as Royal Mail for having the courage to reverse its decision.

Mr Stone added: "This whole business is a classic example of the old saying: if it isn't broken, don't try to fix it."