Union vow to fight plans on Shrewsbury mail plans

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Union vow to fight plans ‘to the end’ on Shrewsbury mail plans

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Union leaders today vowed to ‘fight to the end’ to block plans to close Shropshire’s sorting office.

Darren Jones, secretary of the Shropshire and Mid Wales branch of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), said the plans to move sorting operations to mail centres in Chester, Wolverhampton and Cardiff would result in a ‘massive quality of service failure’ that would have a significant impact on delivery times.

He also questioned the merits of the move as a cost-saving measure, claiming it could take up to 10 years to make £8 million of savings.

It comes just a day after Royal Mail revealed that 96 per cent of mail in the TF postcode area and 95.7 per cent of mail in the SY postcode area was delivered on time between April and June this year.

More than 160 jobs are at risk after the plans to end mail sorting operations at the Castle Foregate centre were unveiled by Royal Mail in response to a dramatic fall in the number of people in Shropshire and Mid Wales sending and receiving mail.

Under the plans mail for SY postcodes in Shrewsbury and Mid Wales will be sorted in Chester, Telford’s post will go to Wolverhampton and post for the Llandrindod Wells area will be sorted in Cardiff.

All three are currently sorted in Shrewsbury.

Royal Mail chiefs have said the move is necessary to maintain a secure financial footing and have pledged to minimise job losses – although it is understood staff could be asked to relocate to Wolverhampton or Chester.

Mr Jones said: “We will fight this to the end.

“These proposals will result in a massive quality of service failure. All deliveries in Shropshire will be delayed.

“If the Royal Mail presses ahead with these proposals in the short term it will still take 10 years to make a saving of £8 million.”

Mr Jones said he understood the Castle Foregate site would continue to be used for collections and deliveries in the SY1 to SY6 areas of Shrewsbury.

Shrewsbury and Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski said he would work hard to try to encourage Royal Mail to reconsider.

He said: “I am hugely saddened to learn Royal Mail has today proposed moving its mail processing operations away from our county town, and I am committed to working alongside all of the agencies and departments involved to ensure the 240 employees affected receive the most positive outcome possible.

“The Royal Mail has had a presence here in Shrewsbury since the 1880s, and a mechanised office for the last 32 years, and its loss will be a blow to the town and to both present and past employees.

“If they will not be swayed then I will do everything in my power to help minimise compulsory redundancies and to ensure that those staff who wish to remain within Royal Mail’s employment are offered a suitable alternative role.”

Paul Parvin, processing director for Royal Mail, said: “Change is absolutely essential to meet customers’ expectations of a world class postal service, ensure we operate efficiently and provide a great quality of service in a smaller and radically changing market.

“Any change to our mail centre in Shrewsbury will, unfortunately, impact on some colleagues. Our agreements with the CWU set out an agreed approach to managing these changes and we will be working very closely with the CWU and Unite CMA to support our people during what will, inevitably, be a period of uncertainty.

“This review is part of the ongoing modernisation and investment in our business. This is vital in order to put Royal Mail on a sound, secure and sustainable footing.”

There are currently 58 mail centres across the country and Royal Mail has already announced that 16 are to close, including Worcester.

By Catherine Ferris

[Lounge Lizard]

"Under the plans mail for SY postcodes in Shrewsbury and Mid Wales will be sorted in Chester, Telford’s post will go to Wolverhampton and post for the Llandrindod Wells area will be sorted in Cardiff."
I don't know if anyone on here has figures for the number of addresses in each postcode area but LD Llandrindod Wells must be about the smallest in the UK, so not much of a problem for Cardiff.

[theshrew]

Yes but Cardiff cannot handle what it does now,Lounge Lizard before you go spouting off look on a map, and see how far Llandrindod wells,Builth wells,Brecon and Knighton are from Cardiff, and the running times from each office,its not like Bolton to Manchester!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lounge Lizard]

Yes but Cardiff cannot handle what it does now,Lounge Lizard before you go spouting off look on a map, and see how far Llandrindod wells,Builth wells,Brecon and Knighton are from Cardiff, and the running times from each office,its not like Bolton to Manchester!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Without looking at a map I would have guessed that Llandrindod Wells is about 70 miles from Cardiff, maybe a 100 minute journey. An accusation of 'spouting off' is not what I'm used to on here so I suspect that you just might be adversely affected by these proposed changes, in which case we sympathise.

[luddite]

I think that Cardiff to LD is going to be around 2 1/2 hrs? Knighton being the furthest away, 90 MILES!!!! These small offices cover a huge rural area, 80-90 miles on delivery not uncommon First lorry around 9am, second lorry 10am-ish! Knighton and Builth are earmarked for closure I believe? Will the full time staff start no later than 7am?
My sympathies with all concerned

[Lounge Lizard]

I think that Cardiff to LD is going to be around 2 1/2 hrs? Knighton being the furthest away, 90 MILES!!!! These small offices cover a huge rural area, 80-90 miles on delivery not uncommon First lorry around 9am, second lorry 10am-ish! Knighton and Builth are earmarked for closure I believe? Will the full time staff start no later than 7am?
My sympathies with all concerned

Smpathies indeed.
LD has just four other delivery offices, Builth Wells, Brecon, Rhayader and Knighton.
I don't doubt the distances you mention but surely these and the times have been considered by RM in their plans.
Similar perhaps to parts of Scotland, so might a consequence be exemption from 1pm for Special Deliveries and non acceptance of the 9am ones to these parts ?

[luddite]

From what I hear teams of blokes with clipboards studied collection routes and times for first mail delivery etc and their conclusion was that it would be madness for Cardiff to supply mail any further than Brecon!! Have they not seen the Brecon Beacons in winter!! It's where they train the SAS ffs!!

[Lounge Lizard]

From what I hear teams of blokes with clipboards studied collection routes and times for first mail delivery etc and their conclusion was that it would be madness for Cardiff to supply mail any further than Brecon!! Have they not seen the Brecon Beacons in winter!! It's where they train the SAS ffs!!

Nothing wrong with clipboards, they've saved me from spilling my coffee when there's no table about.
Seriously though, of the three postcode areas currently dealt with by Shrewsbury mail centre it's clearly LD that seems to be the issue. I've looked up on the AA route planner distances and times between the five LD delivery offices and both Shrewsbury and Cardiff and it's as follows ;

To / from Shrewsbury
Llandrindod Wells, 59.4 miles, 1h 24m
Builth Wells, 66.7 miles, 1h 35m
Brecon, 78.5 miles, 1h 52m
Rhayader, 59.4 miles, 1h 23m
Knighton, 39.8 miles, 1h 4m
TOTAL 303.8 miles, 7h 18m, AVERAGE 60.76 miles, 87.6 min

To / from Cardiff
Llandrindod Wells, 70.8 miles, 1h 41m
Builth Wells, 63.5 miles, 1h 31m
Brecon, 41.6 miles, 1h 3m
Rhayader, 76.9 miles, 1h 49m
Knighton, 89.1 miles, 2h 14m
TOTAL 341.9 miles, 8h 18m, AVERAGE 68.38 miles, 99.6 min

So Llandrindod Wells, Rhayader and Knighton are nearer Shrewsbury but Builth Wells and Brecon are nearer Cardiff.
The move to Cardiff will increase the average journey by about 7 miles and by about 12 minutes.
It's Cardiff to Knighton at nearly 90 miles and over two hours that will clearly be the biggest challenge.

[labbloke]

Strange decision considering Wolverhampton MC are looking for VRs right now

[Lounge Lizard]

Strange decision considering Wolverhampton MC are looking for VRs right now

Maybe we should be looking at the bigger picture, as they say.
TF Telford into NWMMC won't bring much extra work into the already very big WV-WS-DY-ST Wolverhampton, and can't be an issue for Telford residents who are 16 miles or 25 minutes from both Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton.
My earlier comments about the LD postcode area noted that Cardiff to Knighton is nearly 90 miles or 2 hours 15 minutes.
SY moving to Chester means that Chester to SY outpost Aberystwyth will be about 96 miles or 2 hours 20 minutes ( was 75 miles or 1 hour 45 minutes from Shrewsbury ).
If nearly 100 miles or over 2 hours between Mail Centre and furthest Delivery Office is deemed viable, as it apparently is, then before long Cardiff could be the only Mail Centre in Wales - that's with Chester covering the whole of North Wales ( Chester to Holyhead, only 84 miles or 1 hour 45 minutes ) and Cardiff covering all South Wales ( Cardiff to Fishguard, 110 miles but only the same 2 hours 20 minutes as Chester to Aberystwyth ).
( Distances and times from the AA route finder again )

[clashcityrocker]

Strange decision considering Wolverhampton MC are looking for VRs right now

Maybe we should be looking at the bigger picture, as they say.
TF Telford into NWMMC won't bring much extra work into the already very big WV-WS-DY-ST Wolverhampton, and can't be an issue for Telford residents who are 16 miles or 25 minutes from both Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton.
My earlier comments about the LD postcode area noted that Cardiff to Knighton is nearly 90 miles or 2 hours 15 minutes.
SY moving to Chester means that Chester to SY outpost Aberystwyth will be about 96 miles or 2 hours 20 minutes ( was 75 miles or 1 hour 45 minutes from Shrewsbury ).
If nearly 100 miles or over 2 hours between Mail Centre and furthest Delivery Office is deemed viable, as it apparently is, then before long Cardiff could be the only Mail Centre in Wales - that's with Chester covering the whole of North Wales ( Chester to Holyhead, only 84 miles or 1 hour 45 minutes ) and Cardiff covering all South Wales ( Cardiff to Fishguard, 110 miles but only the same 2 hours 20 minutes as Chester to Aberystwyth ).
( Distances and times from the AA route finder again )

Do these times allow for swerving on to the hard shoulder while perusing a manual?

[Lounge Lizard]

Strange decision considering Wolverhampton MC are looking for VRs right now

Maybe we should be looking at the bigger picture, as they say.
TF Telford into NWMMC won't bring much extra work into the already very big WV-WS-DY-ST Wolverhampton, and can't be an issue for Telford residents who are 16 miles or 25 minutes from both Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton.
My earlier comments about the LD postcode area noted that Cardiff to Knighton is nearly 90 miles or 2 hours 15 minutes.
SY moving to Chester means that Chester to SY outpost Aberystwyth will be about 96 miles or 2 hours 20 minutes ( was 75 miles or 1 hour 45 minutes from Shrewsbury ).
If nearly 100 miles or over 2 hours between Mail Centre and furthest Delivery Office is deemed viable, as it apparently is, then before long Cardiff could be the only Mail Centre in Wales - that's with Chester covering the whole of North Wales ( Chester to Holyhead, only 84 miles or 1 hour 45 minutes ) and Cardiff covering all South Wales ( Cardiff to Fishguard, 110 miles but only the same 2 hours 20 minutes as Chester to Aberystwyth ).
( Distances and times from the AA route finder again )

Do these times allow for swerving on to the hard shoulder while perusing a manual?

No, nor for bad weather or for stopping off for breakfast .

[luddite]

I would of thought that Wolverhampton to Knighton would be a lot nearer and probably a better road than Cardiff?
Would the offices in the LD area have a lorry each or would say Builth have their mail first then the lorry go on to Llandrindod etc?

[Lounge Lizard]

I would of thought that Wolverhampton to Knighton would be a lot nearer and probably a better road than Cardiff?
Would the offices in the LD area have a lorry each or would say Builth have their mail first then the lorry go on to Llandrindod etc?

But they're not going to split a postcode area, Knighton ( LD7,8 ) from Wolverhampton and LD1-6 from Cardiff.
.
Currently Shrewsbury has exemptions from 9am Special Deliveries for Llandindod Wells, Rhayader, Builth Wells, Brecon ( LDI to 4 and 6 ) and Tregaron ( SY25 ).
Builth Wells and Brecon will be nearer Cardiff than Shrewsbury but presumably any further Special Delivery exemptions will need approval of the regulator.