Anger at lack of talks on closure of Crichton Street

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Anger at lack of talks on closure of Crichton Street mail office

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Dundee ... ffice.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Royal Mail has confirmed there is to be no consultation on the future of its Crichton Street collecting office, which is due to be shut in a few weeks.


By Alan Wilson
Published in the Courier : 14.02.11
Published online : 14.02.11 @ 12.33p

The confirmation came in a letter to West End councillor Fraser Macpherson, in which the company said the move was "a business necessity change."

Mr Macpherson has now urged Royal Mail to think again and said they should postpone the planned closure pending a proper consultation period with customers and the general public. He said the confirmation contradicted assurances given to him when he met Royal Mail in November to express his concerns about the closure.

He added that consultation would show how vital the office in Crichton Street is and that the public backs it staying open. Failing to consult was "totally unacceptable."

He fears Royal Mail has already made its mind up and would close the office in April without asking its customers what effects it would have on them.

Mr Macpherson has previously been told by Royal Mail that, if the Crichton Street office closes, the Baird Avenue and Edward Street Royal Mail Centres will be the alternative available centres.

"My major area of concern is that although the Edward Street depot is handy for some residents in the Blackness/Milnbank area, for many West End residents it is not a convenient location," he said.

"It is not an easy walk for an elderly person travelling by bus. From both the 17 and 22 service routes the walk is hilly in places. Baird Avenue is utterly hopeless if you rely on public transport."

Mr Macpherson said Royal Mail claims that the Crichton Street office struggles to cope with the increased parcel business, given its limited space, and also fails to meet Disability Discrimination Act requirements.

However he disputes that, saying, "I am convinced that the Crichton Street office could be relatively easily altered to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.

"The front access is already relatively level and all it would take to comply with disability requirements is a new reception desk, repainting and provision of an induction loop.

"The crucial point is that this office is extremely well situated in terms of public transport and, by comparison, the alternatives are poorly served by public transport."