Answers demanded by Bradford Council over R office closures

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Answers demanded by Bradford Council over Royal Mail office closures

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Members of a Bradford Council committee are expected to demand answers from Royal Mail over the closure of three delivery offices in the district when they meet next week.

Earlier this year the company said it intended to shut offices in Shipley , Bingley and Thornton , prompting councillors to call for them to remain open while consultation took place.

Residents and an older people’s group raised concerns about difficulties collecting parcels.

The Council’s chief executive Tony Reeves and Council leader Councillor David Green held a meeting in June with Royal Mail bosses, offering the authority’s assistance in carrying out any consultation.

Subsequently the Council’s assistant director of regeneration, Mike Cowlam, asked Royal Mail a series of questions about whether any changes had been made to the decision to close the three delivery offices and whether any consultation had been carried out.

In addition he asked whether any complaints had been received and about the impact of the closures on jobs, customer service and the volume of parcels collected from the offices.

Members of the Council’s regeneration and economy scrutiny committee are being advised to press the Royal Mail for answer to this letter, which was sent in July.

A spokesman for the company said a response had been sent to the Council “explaining that we are in the process of looking into the requests” made by Mr Reeves and Coun Green and that as soon as further information becomes available, a full reply would be sent.

It was also confirmed that the three delivery offices sites are up for sale with operations to be transferred to a site next to its Bradford North delivery office at Inkersley Road in the city centre. Operations from the Bingley site are due to be transferred in November, Bradford West in Thornton in January and Shipley in February.

It also emerged that the company is still looking at possible alternatives for people to pick up parcels.

A spokesman said: “We appreciate that this move will impact on customers in the area and our planning activities always consider how we can best protect and serve the interest of our customers.

“We must respond to the huge growth in electronic communications and the resulting decline in overall mail volumes. In the UK, mail volumes have declined by 25 per cent in the past several years and we now deliver on average 59 million items a day. With this decline in mail volumes, we must modernise our operations and the consolidation of delivery offices will play a major part in allowing us to place the business on a sound footing.”

The committee meets on Thursday at 5.30pm in City Hall.

[Lounge Lizard]

And who do Council’s chief executive Tony Reeves and Council leader Councillor David Green think they are to DEMAND answers from Royal Mail on this ? Most other companies wouldn't even involve anyone else in a consultation before making such closures.

[slave]

Typical council(lors), do f**k all most of the year but trot out a few grand gestures to try and win favour with the general public, like they really give a s**t..

[simjan]

some may not do a lot some of the year, but some work hard for people all year round, may not make a public statement about what they do all the time,but believe me they do

[arnold cheshire]

And who do Council’s chief executive Tony Reeves and Council leader Councillor David Green think they are to DEMAND answers from Royal Mail on this ? Most other companies wouldn't even involve anyone else in a consultation before making such closures.

i disagree they SHOULD demand answers not every body wants to move delivery office

[Lounge Lizard]

And who do Council’s chief executive Tony Reeves and Council leader Councillor David Green think they are to DEMAND answers from Royal Mail on this ? Most other companies wouldn't even involve anyone else in a consultation before making such closures.

i disagree they SHOULD demand answers not every body wants to move delivery office

In that case if I was a Bradford rate payer I might be demanding answers from chief executive Tony Reeves about letters going missing. Pot, kettle, black.

The chief executive of Bradford Council has apologised “unreservedly” after letters objecting to a controversial planning application went missing.
Tony Reeves said ‘Sorry’ to the Bradford Odeon Rescue Group (BORG) after it emerged that the group’s objections to the demolition of Bradford’s former Odeon cinema had been lost.
The mistake came to light when BORG realised its representations about the £55 million New Victoria Place proposal had not been placed on the Council’s Planning Access website.
Mr Reeves said: “We have asked BORG to resubmit its objections to the planning application as the original copies have been misfiled and cannot be found.
“I apologise unreservedly for this. We have reviewed our systems to ensure that similar mistakes are not made in the future.”
Meanwhile, it has emerged that the Ombudsman is investigating an official complaint over a document issued to councillors by the Council’s strategic director of regeneration.
Complainant Nicholas Bielby, of Frizinghall, said ‘Document Y’, a report issued to the Regulatory and Appeals Committee on October 29, 2008, was “deeply flawed and seriously misleading.” He said the document referred to “the site” as if it were an empty site, suggesting that the demolition of the Odeon was a foregone conclusion.
Mr Reeves said: “It is inappropriate for the Council to comment on matters relating to the report to members of the Regulatory and Appeals Committee while the matter is under consideration by the Ombudsman’s office.”
The planning department has received 344 separate comments on the proposed demolition of the former Odeon building and 352 comments on the planning application for the replacement mixed-use scheme.
BORG has also criticised the way the Council records letters of objection.
A spokesman for the group said: “The planning department apparently no longer officially recognise the word ‘objection’ for they changed their recording terminology midstream to ‘comments’ which diminishes the required impact.”
When asked about this issue, Mr Reeves said: “Comments on planning proposals cannot always be referred to as objections as the planners also receive letters of support.
“The planners will make sure that all comments received about the plans to redevelop the former Odeon are taken into account.”
Langtree Artisan, the developer behind the New Victoria Place plan, said it had nothing to add to previous statements at this stage. The scheme would include the creation of the city centre’s first Grade A offices, a new hotel and apartments.

[DGP1]

We are the Borg...........resistance is futile, your letters will be assimilated