Posties need to sort this pain in the Butt

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/ne ... ticle.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

RESIDENTS are calling for their village to be recognised by Royal Mail.

People who live in Butt Lane currently have to write their address as Talke so postal workers know where to send it.

But many residents believe this causes confusion for visitors and irritation for themselves.

They are now supporting a campaign asking for Royal Mail to rethink its policy.

Donna Ratcliffe, a 30-year-old part-time cleaner, lives in Church Street.

She said: "We never know what to put on letters. We live in Butt Lane but worry our letters will get sent back if we don't write Talke.

"People feel strongly about calling it Butt Lane and not Talke."

Fellow Church Street resident 28-year-old Michael Carr, who is a driver, said: "We're fed up of having to explain to people that we don't actually live in Talke, we just have to write our address that way. Everyone calls the area Butt Lane, they never say they live in Talke."

Hilda Ameson, who lives in Chapel Street, has been a Butt Lane resident for 40 years.

She said: "I have been thinking for a long time that I don't live in Talke, I live in Butt Lane so I can't see why I should call it Talke.

"We have got a post office, vets, a good doctors, a Co-op, pet and fishing shop, two schools plus all the restaurants.

"I don't think they have got any of those things in Talke so why should we have to use their address?"

The campaign was started by Liberal Democrat Butt Lane councillors Dennis Richards and Silvia Burgess.

They have set up an online petition and sent information about the campaign out to 2,000 homes and businesses.

Councillor Richards said: "Butt Lane very much functions as a village in its own right and is a distance from Talke.

"To write your address correctly you have to write Talke not Butt Lane and that is an irritation and an inconvenience."

Councillor Burgess added: "It is a shame that Royal Mail issued a special stamp commemorating the Spitfire, designed by Reginald Mitchell, but does not currently recognise his birthplace as a valid postal address."

Royal Mail calls the Talke line on Butt Lane addresses the locality and has a code of practice in place for locality changes.

A spokesman said: "The postal address is a sorting and routing instruction to Royal Mail and not always a geographically accurate description of where a property is located.

"We will consider requests for changes to addresses in line with our code of practice."

The code states that Royal Mail will not make changes to locality information if it compromises quality of service or efficiency.

But changes can be made subject to a number of conditions, which include the submission of a clearly defined set of geographical boundary data.

Royal Mail would also need to complete a survey of those who would be affected by the change.

The majority of households would have to vote in favour of a change in order for one to take place.

[not me]

google maps doesnt show Butt lane either

[dvbuk55]

I can feel the Town Hall steps calling.......................

[Thorby Bislam]

Do they not use postcodes in Staffs ?

[Pat Ostman]

Obviously living in Talke is regarded as 'below them,' and being good socially minded people this is all this is about I would imagine.

We have got a post office, vets, a good doctors, a Co-op, pet and fishing shop, two schools plus all the restaurants.
"I don't think they have got any of those things in Talke so why should we have to use their address?"

[POSTMAN]

Yeah Butt,no Butt,oh it's all Talke

[BELIAL]

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Yeah Butt,no Butt,oh it's all Talke

[POSTMAN]

Thanks,i'm here all week,well actually,i'm here every fecking day.......

[not me]

i dont see the issue
can they not write

butt lane
talke
nimby land

like many places do?

"To write your address correctly you have to write Talke not Butt Lane and that is an irritation and an inconvenience."