Malmesbury posties will have to drive to Wootton Bassett

[clashcityrocker]

http://www.wiltsglosstandard.co.uk/news ... e_in_town/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


A BID to persuade the Royal Mail to keep a mail storage facility in Malmesbury when its sorting office shuts down next year has failed.

Traders and councillors had battled to encourage officials from the organisation to consider finding a local site where posties could pick up mail for their rounds rather than driving 10 miles down the road to Wootton Bassett.

But in a letter to Wiltshire Councillor Simon Killane and deputy town clerk Phil Rice, external relations manager Richard Hall said: To replace the existing unit at Malmesbury with an alternative site, even if on a smaller scale, would add additional unnecessary costs to the operation. “It would also add additional handling to the pipeline which will have a detrimental impact on the service to our customers.”

Royal Mail announced earlier this year that it was facing tough trading conditions and a drop in the amount of mail it was handling.

As a result it was closing offices that were no longer fit for purpose. The Malmesbury sorting operation was being transferr to the more modern office at Wootton Bassett where there was enough capacity.

“It makes most commercial sense to concentrate our operation there,” he explained.

“We do not expect there will be a significant impact on our operation in Malmesbury and both delivery and collection times will remain within our specifications,” stressed Mr Hall. Reacting to the news, Cllr Killane said: “Sadly we have not managed to convince them to come up with a more imaginative set of proposals. “They have however agreed provide an undelivered parcels collection service in the town.”

The Royal Mail has said it normally prefers to use existing facilities run by the Post Office for customers to collect undelivered mail, but no agreement has yet been signed to allow them to use the counter in the Co-op at the top of the high street.