Postcode campaign stepped up

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ARGYLL RESIDENTS TO SEEK HELP FROM POLITICIANS AT BOTH PARLIAMENTS
Published: 23/05/2009

Residents in one of the remotest areas in the Highlands, who are battling to get their postcode changed, are to seek help from politicians at Holyrood and Westminster.

It is the latest move in a 10-year campaign and follows results from a questionnaire circulated to 195 people on the Morvern peninsula which has revealed majority support for change.

Householders want to shed their PA34 postcode, which routes mail via Paisley and to Oban, more than 75 miles away by road and 15 miles and two ferry crossings by sea.

This, they complain, means delays and confusion because deliveries often go via Oban rather than the more direct route across the Corran Ferry, seven miles from Fort William. Angry residents say all carriers now rely on computer systems and, because of the Oban postcode, deliveries often go via the Argyll capital rather than by the more direct route across the Corran Ferry, resulting hold-ups.

Health professionals have also warned that problems could be caused for NHS 24 and emergency services becoming confused by the postcode link to Oban.

Householders and motorists also claim they could be losing out on insurance premiums with PA34 linking the area to the urban centres of Paisley and Oban.

A separate code might lower insurance costs because of Morvern’s rural location.

Out of a total of 195 questionnaires circulated by long-time campaigner and retired hospital consultant Douglas Watt, of Struthan, Lochaline, 71 were returned. Of these, 51 sought an overland service under a PH Perth code via Ardgour with 11 opting for an alternative PA Paisley code. Eight respondents favoured no change.

Dr Watt told community councillors, who agreed to canvas political support from politicians in Edinburgh and London, that the situation was now intolerable.

He said: “There had been a strong response to the questionnaire, which prompted complaints ranging from goods intended for Morvern being delivered to Oban addresses and people on the peninsula calling NHS 24 and being advised to attend hospital in Oban.

Dr Watt added: “There is much confusion because of the situation with a variety of providers and countless cases of goods being delivered to such as “Morvern Crescent, Oban” or “Morvern, Ganavan Road, Oban.”

But a Royal Mail spokes- man said: “The postcode is created and used as a routing instruction for Royal Mail. The only circumstances in which we would consider changing a postcode would be if the quality of service provided by Royal Mail to it’s customers were being adversely affected by the postcode.”