Councillor seeing red over the state of Cleethorpes' post boxes

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WHEN you walk past a post box how much notice do you take of it?

According to Labour's Croft Baker ward councillor Matthew Brown, the boxes in many parts of Cleethorpes are a little below par. He has written to Royal Mail to ask for the issue to be addressed and shared his concerns with the Grimsby Telegraph.

He said: "People need to take pride in their area and it's important that street furniture is of the highest standard, especially those of a historic nature, including post boxes. They are a symbol of Britishness. Throughout the year, the world's eyes are often upon us.

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"Cleethorpes is the jewel in the crown of the east coast. The area is not just an outstanding tourist resort but also hosts a number of national events, most recently the Armed Forces Day that was attended by the then Prime Minister David Cameron.

"I have been wanting to look after my own ward in Croft Baker to get a holistic view about the scale of the damage to street furniture. It's become clear to me that there was an issue."

Mr Brown claims he raised the issue at the September Labour Party conference with Royal Mail and is frustrated that three months on, he has not had a response. He says that 75 per cent of the post boxes are in need of maintenance.

"Residents tell me that they are proud of Cleethorpes," he continued.

"As ward councillor it's my duty to ensure that their views are heard. People have mentioned their concerns about post boxes. We have got to make sure it's of the highest standard. Cleethorpes is booming, we've got to make sure that the big things along with the little things such as post boxes are also maintained

."Royal Mail post boxes are iconic. People associate them with British values and the good times of yesteryear. This emblem of Britishness should be taken care of and preserved for future generations to enjoy."

Councillor Brown is hoping that a maintenance programme is put in place for 2017 to repaint and repair all post boxes within Cleethorpes.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: "All of our post boxes are repainted on a rolling cycle. The boxes in Cleethorpes are due to be fully repainted within the next financial year. However, if any boxes have been vandalised they can be reported to postbox.appearance@royalmail.com and will be cleaned or repainted as necessary."