Shrewsbury Royal Mail sorting office due to close by March

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Shrewsbury’s Royal Mail sorting office is expected to fully close by March next year, it was claimed today.

The gradual closure of Shrewsbury Mail Centre, in Castle Foregate, is ongoing with the process due to be completed in around six months time – by the end of March 2014.

An employee at the site, who asked not to be named, today said that “a lot” of employees were leaving and that they had been informed of the timescales the company was working towards.

But Royal Mail bosses refused to confirm their plans over when the axe-threatened centre will close for the final time, and said discussions were continuing with its staff.

Up to 240 people work at the historic sorting office, which has been processing mail since 1880, and last November union bosses claimed that about 170 jobs were likely to be lost. The delivery operation, which employs 180 staff, will remain on site and be unaffected.

The decision to axe the centre means mail for Shropshire and Mid Wales will be sorted in Chester, Wolverhampton and Cardiff. The plans were first put forward after it was revealed mail items posted to addresses in the area from other parts of the country had fallen by 24.3 per cent in five years.

Mike Norman, a Royal Mail spokesman, said: “The closure of Shrewsbury Mail Centre is part of a major transformation and programme to modernise Royal Mail.

“This move is an important part of our programme to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of our operation by making the best possible use of our buildings, machinery and resources. We continue to support our people during this difficult time and are working locally with the CWU within the agreed approach to managing changes of this nature.”

Shrewsbury mayor councillor Jon Tandy said: “It is very sad for the whole area that this site is being downgraded and I hope in years to come Royal Mail realises the error of its ways and moves its operations back to Shrewsbury.”