More postboxes could go, warns councillor

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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The saga of a missing postbox in Sudbury has come to a disappointing conclusion after Royal Mail said it was not viable to install a replacement.

For more than six months, residents on the Chaucer Estate have been battling to have a postbox, which was removed from Chaucer Road, reinstated.

However, their attempts, which included a petition signed by 300 people, appear to have been in vain after Sudbury town councillor John Sayers received a letter dispelling any hope of a replacement.

The letter from the company’s chief executive’s office said there was not enough people posting letters to justify a replacement, and there were postboxes nearby in Priory Road and Manor Road.

Mr Sayers, who has led the residents’ cause, said although the postbox was removed at the request of the landowner, he feared more could now go.

“This is a heartless decision by Royal Mail,” he said. “It could become a trend that we lose more postboxes, as it will use any excuse to take them away.”

Mr Sayers said despite carrying out a survey into the proximity of other postboxes, usage and population density, Royal Mail had failed to consider the type of residents affected.

“These are special people and many are elderly and have been there 40 or 50 years,” he said.

Despite revealing some residents may take their case to a government ombudsmen, Mr Sayers all but admitted defeat in the campaign.

“We have put up a good fight and done our damndest,” he said. “It is very unjust.”

Anita Byrne, from Royal Mail, apologised that residents may have been given false hope.

“Although we may have indicated previously the possibly of another location, this was some time ago,” she said.

“Since that time, we have reassessed the situation and it would not be a viable proposition to provide a further postbox in this climate of ever decreasing mail volumes.”

[glenfiddich]

they should have named the landowner rather than focus all the blame on royal mail

[DB1100]

they should have named the landowner rather than focus all the blame on royal mail

I agree, probably wanted rent for the land from Royal mail .

[UnhappyGremlin]

they should have named the landowner rather than focus all the blame on royal mail

I agree, probably wanted rent for the land from Royal mail .

Not necessarily. May have been fed up with people in cars stopping to post letters if they been doing some level of damage maybe? Or they may have been upset with RM over some other issue and decided on retribution via this course of action.

As far as rent goes, if a box is in someone's wall then they do get paid, so there is a possibility that they may be paid if on private land.

It I my own opinion that it is RM's fault, they have recently made the littlest possible effort to replace closing PO's, often now when some post master/mistress quits or retires, RM 'can't find anyone interested' in taking over, and thus, at best, will only end up with an outreach service available for 4 hours a week. It's closures via the back door, and RM's PR undamaged. Same now with boxes, there have been a few near me, helps take out hours from collection hubs etc. It will happen more and more now.