Campaigners bid to save Wooton Under Edge sorting office

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Campaigners fighting to save a postal sorting office from closure say they have collected 1,800 signatures on their petition.

Supporters of the Wotton-under-Edge-based Save Our Sorting Office (SOSO) group handed out hundreds of leaflets urging people to back the initiative at the weekend.

SOSO wants people who objected to Wotton sorting office shutting to write to the Minister for postal affairs, said campaign chairman and Wotton Town Council member Roger Carter.

The sorting office deals with mail from a 45 square mile area, including Wotton itself and also more southerly towns like Falfield, Wickwar and Charfield, he said.

But if the sorting is transferred to Cam instead, Royal Mail staff will have to travel an additional 3,000 miles a week on and off duty, he said.

“One problem about moving to Cam is therefore the increased carbon footprint,” Mr Carter said.

“Also we’re concerned about the loss of spin-off trade to Wotton when people come in at the moment to visit the sorting office.”

The SOSO campaign started just before Christmas and already has 1,800 names on its petition, including 400 on an online petition.

Gloucestershire county councillor for Wotton-under-Edge, Dr John Cordwell, said the proposed move to Cam would mean changes to delivery rounds.

“People who currently get their post before 9am will not get it until the afternoon,” SOSO supporter Coun Cordwell said.

“The Cam Sorting Office was not designed to take the extra staff and vehicles.

“All the businesses around the Cam office are opposed to the move because of the lack of parking and the threat posed by HGVs negotiating the congested estate road.”

A spokeswoman for Royal Mail blamed health and safety issues for the move, which is scheduled before the end of the current financial year.

“Following a detailed review of mail operations in Wotton-under-Edge, during which a number of health and safety issues were identified, it has been decided to relocate the delivery office,” she said.

“There will not be any detrimental effects to either the levels of service or present delivery times in the area.”