Anger at closure of Royal Mail sorting office in Ellesmere

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THE decision to close Ellesmere postal delivery office and relocate it to Oswestry has been slammed as ‘disgusting and arrogant’.

Ellesmere mayor Geoff Elner hit out at Royal Mail’s announcement, and said: “There has been no consulting over this, Royal Mail seems to have not a care in the world for the local people.

“We have offered to talk to them but they have ignored us. Any answers we have got from them have been conflicting from different levels of the business.”

He said the move will mean Ellesmere people will get their post at least an hour later, which will have a knock-on effect for all businesses – though this was denied by Royal Mail.

“It will be bad for the town’s economy – they are taking away a service people depend on,” said Cllr Elner.

Royal Mail says the move will not affect any services at Ellesmere Post Office in Scotland Street.

Delivery office activities will move from Scotland Street to nine miles away at Oswestry District Office in Maesbury Road.

Royal Mail stressed there will be no compulsory redundancies as a result.

The company said the changes, which will be introduced on May 11, will actually improve service to customers in Ellesmere, thanks to an agreement with the sub-postmaster at the town’s Post Office.

Customers will be able to collect any undeliverable mail throughout the day, whereas the current office is open for only a few hours at lunchtime.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “The move will aid our efficiency by disposing of an old, not fit-for-purpose property, while better using Oswestry Delivery Office.

“It will also remove the duplication of some work and reduce the need to pass any ‘miss sorted’ mail between the two sites.

“Staff will be in a superior working environment with vastly improved health and safety conditions. We will also reimburse our people for any extra mileage caused by the changes in their place of work.”

Letters will now be sent to all addresses currently served by Ellesmere Delivery Office explaining the move.