‘Unprecedented level’ of complaints over Royal Mail delays across Wakefield

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https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news ... ld-5484107

Wakefield residents have lodged an ‘unprecedented level’ of complaints over postal delays, a councillor has said.

Wakefield Council has been urged to take action to ensure Royal Mail services improve across the district.

Normanton councillor Julie Medford has put forward a motion highlighting the problems faced due to the organisation’s “failures.”

The Labour councillor said: “Royal Mail has, for a number of months now, not been able to provide or guarantee an adequate level of service to many residents and businesses district-wide.

“This is evidenced by an unprecedented level of complaints received by its councillors.”

Coun Medford said residents had complained about missing hospital appointments and delays in receiving medication.

Others had reported delays creating problems with purchasing new homes and receiving bank cards.

The motion states: “Residents explain that they have often not received mail for weeks at a time, and councillors have cases of them then receiving up to 39 items of mail at once.

Wakefield Council says it recognises that failures by Royal Mail are not acceptable.
Wakefield Council says it recognises that failures by Royal Mail are not acceptable.
“Businesses express concern that goods posted to customers via Royal Mail are not always arriving in a timely manner and that this is subsequently affecting their businesses.

“Wakefield Council recognises that these failures by Royal Mail are not acceptable and that the service offered to customers must improve.”

Coun Medford also claimed local services have been “put under severe pressure” due to “issues with recruitment and retention” of staff.

She added: “This negatively impacts customer service, given the high workload on deliveries and the local knowledge required for frontline postal workers to do their job.

“These delays affect communities across the Wakefield district but they can be resolved by Royal Mail taking action to level the playing field across their employment structures.”

The motion, to be considered at a full council meeting on January 28, calls on Royal Mail to “provide accurate and realistic information to its service users regarding its delivery time periods.”

If the motion is passed, the council would also raise the issue with the government and contact postal workers and union representatives “to better understand the challenges facing the service in the local area.”

Council leader Denise Jeffery previously said she planned to write to Royal Mail after the delays were raised at a meeting in November last year.

She said at the time: “Different postcodes across this district are struggling with mail, quite a number of them.

“I do feel it is something we should take up as a council.”