£7m Royal Mail centre gets stamp of approval

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/ ... -1-7533401" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



A £7m new Royal Mail delivery centre has officially opened in Blackpool bringing around 260 workers to the site in Bispham.

Footballing legend Jimmy Armfield and Blackpool North and Cleveleys MP Paul Maynard officially unveiled the new complex off Faraday Way which handles around 120,000 items of post each day.



Around 210 staff have relocated from the Abingdon Street Post Office and delivery centre in Blackpool - which has now been sold, while around 41 staff have moved from the Poulton delivery office.

Fears had been raised that taking the service out of the town centre would inconvenience customers if they need to collect undelivered parcels.

But bosses said mail is re-delivered free of charge if people are out when their postman calls.

Ady Fielding, delivery director for North West England, said: “Abingdon Street was not fit for purpose and was a health and safety risk.

“We wanted our people to have good facilities and this is probably the best delivery building in Royal Mail.

“We have done a lot of work letting residents know about the changes and Blackpool has the biggest re-delivery numbers in the country. For example yesterday 106 re-deliveries were carried out.

“They are free and are done within 24 hours.”

Staff said they were pleased with the new facilities.

Janice Wild, of Carleton, who is postwoman for Knott End, said: “We start work at about 6.45am and sort our post out according to our walk round.

“If someone isn’t in, we leave parcels with neighbours or somewhere safe so we don’t take many back to the delivery office.”

The centre expects to handle around 250,000 items of mail a day during the run-up to Christmas.

Jimmy Armfield said: “Anything new opening in Blackpool is a good thing for the town. The post is vital to us - it is an artery for the population.”

Royal Mail announced in November 2013 that it planned to move.

It is not known what will happen to the former Abingdon Street Post Office which is a listed building.

[5plusbonusball]

one thing I think they need to update are the green fins which crack and break when stressed.
With so much mail /double holes and fat catalogues/magazines, I break around 12 a week. They are too brittle and not flexible.

[flimflamman]

you can just glimpse the managers offices top left with a gangway so they can grab a coffee and wander out to observe the workers who really are now beneath them,
looks a bit like an american prison

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Customers left in limbo at new delivery office

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/ ... -1-7539926" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Blackpool’s new £7m Royal Mail delivery centre has been labelled a ‘disgrace’ after failing to open just two days after its official opening.

Although the Faraday Way complex employs 260 workers, nobody was available to open up as advertised on Sunday afternoon, leaving customers waiting in vain outside.

Royal Mail says two members of staff due to work on Sunday both called in sick. It apologised today to those who travelled to the out-of-town facility to collect their undelivered mail

Lorry driver Ashley Swarbrick, 32, from Poulton, tried to pick up a parcel on Sunday.

He said: “People were pulling up every few minutes. It’s a disgrace. Elderly people were stood in the cold waiting.

“There was nothing in the window, no ‘sorry we are closed’, or anything.”

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said two members of staff had been due to work on Sunday but said both were ill. She said: “We apologise to customers for being unable to collect items from the Blackpool and Poulton Enquiry Office between noon and 4pm on Sunday.

“This was due to staff sickness at extremely short notice. We apologise sincerely that this was not notified to customers.”

Footballing legend Jimmy Armfield and Blackpool North and Cleveleys MP Paul Maynard officially unveiled the new complex, which handles around 120,000 items of post each day, last week, although it opened to the public on October 5.

Fears had been raised that taking the service out of the town centre would inconvenience customers collecting undelivered parcels but bosses said mail is re-delivered free of charge if people are out when their postman calls.