Essex:Royal Mail to shut five delivery offices across county

[POSTMAN]

http://www.theenquirer.co.uk/read.aspx?id=9055" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

FIVE postal delivery offices are to close under Royal Mail plans to modernise.



The move to relocate offices to Southend, as part of Royal Mail’s ongoing modernisation, will take place early next year.



Shoeburyness delivery office and mail operations in Great Wakering will move in February 2013, Leigh–on-Sea delivery office early March 2013 and Rochford delivery office and mail operations in Canewdon late March 2013.



Royal Mail said the move will provide improved working conditions, secure employment and a more cost-effective operation.



The mail processing unit in Southend has some of the latest machinery for sorting letters at an investment of £1.5 million. There are six compact sequence sorting machines in the building that sort mail for the Southend postcode areas fast and effectively. These machines electronically “read” the addresses on letters and sort them into the order in which they will be delivered by Royal Mail’s postmen and women. They can sort mail at speeds of up to 45,000 items per hour, and significantly reduce the amount of hand-sorting that needs to be undertaken before postmen and women go out on their deliveries.



There will not be any compulsory redundancies among postmen and postwomen according to Royal Mail and the firm plans to reimburse staff for any extra mileage incurred by changes to their place of work.



Royal Mail’s Delivery Director for the Southend area, Steve Molloy, said: “We have started talking to our people about the move. The relocation of these offices is part of Royal Mail’s ongoing modernisation programme and is vital to put our business on a sound, secure and sustainable footing for the future. Our service to customers will continue to be a top priority during these changes and further details will be available in advance of the moves. Customers can be reassured that we will do all we can to minimise disruption to customers and ensure we maintain the high level of service they expect and deserve from Royal Mail.”