ROYAL Mail is denying claims that the city's postal sorting centre is going to be closed and moved north.
But, says the Communications Workers' Union (CWU), the move is 99 per cent certain and Royal Mail have already made their decision.
"To close this thriving Bletchley office just defies logic," said CWU Eastern Branch Secretary Paul Moffatt. "Not only could it mean job losses but it will have a detrimental impact on the local postal service."
"Milton Keynes is rapidly expanding – both residentially and commercially – so we can't for the life of us understand why they are even considering this closure."
Mr Moffatt told the Citizen news of the closure came to light last week – after two years of company talk about a merger of the Coventry and Northampton sorting offices at a new 'super' mail centre close to the M1 near Northampton.
"Last Tuesday management came clean and said that they were considering including Milton Keynes in the merger, saying it was part of a review of the area. But they've said this review will take a month. Is that really long enough to consult everyone, including the public, about this?
"My view is the decision has already been taken, and the office will close."
A Royal Mail spokesman confirmed a review of the Dawson Road sorting office was underway but said that this does not affect any of the delivery offices in Milton Keynes, adding: "As announced in 2007, over the next few years the company will be making huge investments in the network, including new technology and equipment for mail centres.
"As it stands, the Milton Keynes Mail Centre may not be suitable for the new technology and equipment needed because of its limited size, and as a result we are looking at a number of options for its future."
"This includes the possibility of transferring processing operations to a proposed new state-of-the-art mail centre in the nearby M1 corridor in 2010, subject to authority. We will be consulting with our people and unions over the next few weeks and will expect to make a decision on the review in the next month or so."
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Last Updated: 22 April 2008 10:44 AM