Remote homes take special delivery of a new postcode

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AT THIS time of year everyone is waiting anxiously hoping their letters and parcels arrive safely and on time.
For residents in the remote area of Morvern it has been a ritual followed daily, all year round, for the past decade.

However, the Royal Mail is set to deliver some early Christmas joy to the householders after a lengthy campaign that reached the
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Scottish Parliament.

At present, Morvern's PA34 postcode is shared with areas of Oban despite the most distant parts of the peninsula being separated from the Argyll capital by a 120-mile road journey, a 73-mile trip by road and a short ferry crossing at Corran, or a two-ferry journey and 15-mile road trip from Oban to Lochaline.

Deliveries are sorted in Paisley and sent to Oban, where they are again sorted before being taken to Morvern via Mull.

The 300-strong population says confusion over the postcode often means deliveries going missing in Oban, with carriers now relying on computer systems, and have been pressing for their own postcode.

Health professionals also warned that problems could be caused for NHS 24 and emergency services becoming confused by the postcode link to Oban.

More than 100 people signed an online petition backing the residents and the case was raised at the parliament's petitions committee.

Yesterday the Royal Mail, which had previously ruled out a change, confirmed it planned to change the Morvern postcode to PA80. This will still mean goods and letters going via Oban, but it is hoped it will speed up deliveries and prevent items going missing.

Peter Peacock, a Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, who with local campaigner Dr Douglas Watt raised the issue in parliament, welcomed the move.

Mr Peacock, who says the postcode designation arises from an administrative error many years ago, said:

"Morvern residents have suffered real difficulties through their postcode indicating they are in Oban and I hope these difficulties will now come to and end."

Dr Watt said: "This would mean Morvern is recognised as a separate entity. It should speed things up and stop mail going astray. It should make a big difference to courier services and mail order companies as they still tend to end up in Oban trying to deliver a fridge or a bunch of flowers for someone here."

Another campaigner, Hugh Raven, said he refuses to give couriers delivering goods his postcode. "They say they can't send goods without the postcode but my reply is 'if I give you my postcode I know I won't get (the delivery]'," he said.

Royal Mail said yesterday a review has shown that changing the postcode could achieve "potential operational efficiency".

It is now to write in the new year to 200 households that would be affected by the change to seek their views before proceeding.

Julie Morrison, Royal Mail's head of external relations in Scotland, said: "It is important to remember that the postcode is a routing instruction for the delivery of post by Royal Mail and we will only consider changing a postcode if it improves our operations. In the case of Morvern, we examined all of the options and we are proposing this change in order to improve the efficiency of our mail services in the area."