Business Secretary to meet RM over Whitton postcode row

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Business Secretary to meet Royal Mail over Whitton postcode row

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Twickenham MP Vince Cable will meet with Royal Mail chiefs this week as the fight to reallocate the postcodes of 34 Whitton streets.

The Business Secretary was petitioned by residents whose homes come under a Hounslow postcode, despite Whitton being part of Richmond borough, in January.

Dr Cable said he was hopeful his influence would help the We Want to be Whitton campaign and rectify the issue.

In a letter to residents, he lamented to Royal Mail's stance on the historical postcode mix-up.

He said: "For many decades residents living in Whitton have been allocated a Hounslow postcode and post town even though they live in Richmond.

"Despite raising this issue in Parliament many times, the Royal Mail has refused to listen to local concerns about the impact this has on insurance costs, service provision and residents' sense of community and identity.

"These issues arise around Britain and the Royal Mail has always argued that the postcodes are designed to help them have an efficient sorting and delivery system and are nothing to do with borough boundaries.

"I have less sympathy with their attempt to stop the use of Whitton and Twickenham in postal addresses."

He urged residents to sign a Liberal Democrat petition over the matter before the meeting on Friday, September 19.

We Want to be Whitton campaigners said the "decades of postcode error" had a negative impact on various issues, including house prices and insurance costs.

According to estate agent Rightmove, the average property cost £638,826 in Richmond compared with £400,803 in neighbouring Hounslow in 2013, an increase of almost 60 per cent.

In Whitton, the average property price last year was £390,422.

The group said the issue affected people across the borough, including in Twickenham where some households have a Feltham address, and in Hampton Wick where homes have a Kingston postcode.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "The postcode is a Royal Mail operational tool designed to ensure the accurate sorting, routing and delivery of our customers' mail.

"Postcode boundaries do not necessarily reflect geographical or administrative boundaries.

"Royal Mail does not normally change postcodes unless there is a pressing operational reason to do so though, under the code of practice for postal addressing, there is a process for customers to request a change."

The online petition can be signed at trlibdems.org.uk/we-want-a-whitton-post-code.