Postbox problems as footpath now too narrow

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A POST box which was removed from a site in Winshill cannot be put back in place for health and safety reasons, according to the Royal Mail.

The pavement on Newton Road is now deemed to be too narrow for the traditional red box to be sited there, the company told the Mail.

EU guidelines have forced the change, in a move which has been branded ‘silly’ by people in the area.

Councillor Dennis Fletcher, who represents the area for East Staffordshire Borough Council, said: “They said the footpath wasn’t wide enough if they put in a mailbox, but when they put it there it wasn’t a problem.

“It’s been there for as long as I can remember, and I don’t remember there ever being a problem before.”

The rules state that a pavement must be at least 1.5m in width in order to support a post box, and Newton Road falls short of this amount.

The box was removed in November when it was damaged after being hit by a car.

It will now be re-sited at Highlands Drive, which Royal Mail said was the nearest alternative option.

A spokesman for the company said: “Royal Mail apologises to customers for any inconvenience caused by the removal of the post-box at Newton Road.

“There are three alternative posting facilities in the area: at Hillsdale Road, Churchill Street and Swan Junction. We propose to install the replacement for the box which has been removed at Highlands Drive, and will complete this work as soon as we can.”

Winshill has been hit with a double post box loss in recent months, following the removal of another one at Bretby Lane.

The box there was apparently taken out as it was considered to be structurally unsafe. It was not thought to be necessary to replace the box, as staff who spent a day observing it said it was not used enough to warrant it remaining in that location.

But Councillor Fletcher said he had seen several people – letter in hand – walk up to the box, only to find they are unable to deposit it.

“You can’t do one survey on one day for a post box.

“I know that people use it,” Councillor Fletcher said.