Post box protection welcome but what about the service?

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CWU leaders Billy Hayes and Dave Ward reminded postal regulator Ofcom of the urgent need to protect the UK's postal delivery service, as new statutory protections for post box provision were unveiled today (Thursday).

Specific, and legally enforceable criteria on the location and density of post boxes were set out in a formal statement by the regulator, following a consultation to which the CWU and other key postal industry stakeholders had entered submissions.


Prior to today's announcement, the previous criteria applied in only 61 of the 121 postcode areas in the UK. Those excluded postcodes mostly covered rural areas, but some major cities such as Belfast, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Swansea were also not protected.

The new procedures set out today provide regulatory protections that will apply nationwide for the first time.


Commenting, CWU general secretary Billy Hayes said: "This is good news, and is broadly in line with the submission we entered to the Ofcom consultation.

"But at a time when the universal postal delivery service is under increasing threat from the twin dangers of privatisation and competition, what we also need are far stronger legal protections for collections and deliveries too."


Dave Ward, the union's deputy general secretary, added: "Of course today's announcement is welcome, but Ofcom must show the same determination to intervene decisively to protect the universal delivery service as well.

"The level of collection frequency has been hugely reduced in recent years and measures to stabilise this are welcome," he added.

Ofcom's new post box requirements specify that there must be a post box "within half a mile of at least 98 per cent of delivery points and, for the remaining 2 per cent of delivery points, Royal Mail must provide sufficient post boxes or other means of access to the universal service (e.g. collection on delivery) to meet the reasonable needs of those users, having regard to the costs and operational practicalities of doing so."


Speaking for Ofcom, Claudio Pollack, the organisation's consumer group director, said: "Our decision means that consumers and businesses, particularly in rural communities, will benefit from extended protection for post boxes.

Adding: "It's vital that everyone has suitable access to post boxes and, for the first time, protection will apply across the UK.