Northowram residents are calling on Royal Mail to take action after three postboxes were removed from the village

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Concerned Northowram residents are calling on Royal Mail to take action after three postboxes were removed from the village.

The village is home to a number of elderly and infirm people, who now have to travel further to post their mail.


The postbox cull began in May last year, when Northowram Post Office closed due to the retirement of the postmaster.


But when the building was sold the postbox was removed, before another one disappeared from Towngate.

Councillor Peter Caffrey (Con, Northowram and Shelf), said: “The only remaining post box located within the village was in Newlands. This free standing pillar box was slightly dislodged, but not damaged, by a skidding car in December 2014 but remained fully serviceable and continued to be used.

“In July 2015 this pillar box was removed by ROMEC Limited and the contractor undertaking the removal provided assurance that is would be replaced with in six weeks.

“Northowram is now bereft of any accessible posting facilities except by personal hand delivery to the post office during its time of opening. Given the size of the village, and the distances involved for most residents, this is extremely inconvenient and, in some cases, impossible without transport.

“Elderly or infirm residents are being particularly disadvantaged.

“These perfectly good postboxes have been removed without any prior notice to, or consultation with, either residents or local councillors or the post office.

“Northowram requires two new post boxes as a very minimum with one at each end of the village, preferably in, or near, the previous locations.

“A postbox in the proximity of the post office would also be welcome as I would consider this a fairly normal requirement.”

But, there may soon be relief for Northowram residents.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Royal Mail will be installing a new postbox in the village before Christmas. It will be located at 62 Towngate.”