Concerns raised about service in Wotton following merger

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Concerns raised about postal service in Wotton following merger

http://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/443 ... ng_merger/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

THE postal service has suffered since Royal Mail merged two sorting offices, according to residents and a local postman.

Since Royal Mail decided to close the Wotton-under-Edge sorting office and move staff to the delivery depot in Cam, residents say post has been arriving around two hours later.

Local postman Mark Spencer also says letters are getting delivered to the wrong addresses because staff are "rushed off their feet".

Mr Spencer, union representative for the Wotton staff, said: "It is the extra travelling that is taking us the time. Royal Mail is bullying us into rushing around and they are telling us we are working too slow."

All staff who worked in the Wotton sorting office have had to relocate to Cam, but despite the travel time taking an extra 30 to 40 minutes a day they get no extra time to complete their rounds. This is causing mail to be delivered to the wrong addresses in postmen’s haste to get their deliveries done in time.

Mr Spencer added: "I feel that although we have lost the sorting office we shouldn’t lose the service we once had."

Mr Spencer wants the people of Wotton to make their views known by writing to Royal Mail and to their local MP with their complaints.

Roger Carter, organiser of the Save Our Sorting Office (SOSO) campaign, said he was aware of the problems and was hoping Royal Mail would honour its promise to meet with him to review the service every three months.

"I am expecting the full co-operation of Royal Mail at our next meeting to sort out the lapses in the Wotton service," said Mr Carter. "There are certainly problems that need to be addressed. We and all the other people in our road are not getting mail until around 1pm each day, not so long ago it used to be 10am.

"The feedback I am getting is still one of discontent with the service and I look forward to seeing some improvements with this after our meeting with Royal Mail."

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: "We are making deliveries in the area within our advertised timeframe and our independently measured quality of service for Gloucestershire exceeds both national and local targets.

"However we are always concerned to learn that a customer is experiencing problems with any of our services and would ask them to contact our customer services department with full details of any incidents so we can make enquiries."