'Mail chaos' after sorting office shut

Customers who miss delivery of their Christmas parcels are facing "chaos and confusion" thanks to the closure of the town's sorting office, campaigners claim. The office in Eddington Lane shut as part of plans by Royal Mail to modernise the service and postal workers are now based in the Canterbury office.

But protestors who are still battling to save the Whitstable delivery office say the move has been a disaster. Campaigner Julie Wassmer is urging people to write to Royal Mail bosses to keep up the pressure. She said:

"Following the Herne Bay delivery office move there is operational pandemonium in the Canterbury delivery office. Canterbury cannot cope with the mail from Herne Bay. We must fight this absurd proposal for which Royal Mail failed to give due consultation, so please write your views in an e-mail to Moya Greene, CEO of Royal Mail. Customers talk of chaos and confusion in the Canterbury office, of ringing up for hours or even days on end and not being able to get through. Even if they manage to speak to a real person in the office, it will be several days before redelivery can take place."

A petition opposing the move has attracted 5,000 signatures and a similar campaign in Nottingham successfully stopped a delivery office being moved. They collected 300 signatures.

Campaigners fear shutting the coastal centres will put up to 100 vehicles on to the road each working day as postal workers drive to and from Canterbury to pick up and deliver mail, causing congestion and environmental damage.

Whitstable staff were yesterday expected to ballot for strike action and have 28 days after the result to stage a walk out. This means the threatened postal strike will not happen before Christmas. Member of the Communication Workers Union, Chris Stone, said:

"I think a lot of us would have been uncomfortable putting our customers' Christmas mail at risk."

Royal Mail spokeswoman Sally Hopkins said postal workers had been consulted in 2010. The closure of the Whitstable delivery office and relocating work to Canterbury was the second phase of the changes. The first phase saw all sorting facilities moved under one roof to a super sorting office in Medway.

thisiskent 13th Dec 2012

100 march against post closures

More than 100 campaigners took to the streets in protest at plans to close Royal Mail sorting offices in Herne Bay and Whitstable. They marched through Herne Bay on Saturday and along the seafront, led by Bay sound engineer David Shepherd, 39, with a loud hailer.

Joining him was Whitstable campaigner and postman Chris Stone. Royal Mail Wants to close depots in Eddington Lane, Herne Bay, and Cromwell Road, Whitstable, as part of a huge shake-up within the next two years. Operations would be concentrated at the Canterbury depot in Military Road. The march was featured by both BBC and ITV. Mr Shepherd, who also took along his young son Oscar, said:

"We are bringing the issue to the attention of more people. We fear Herne Bay and Whitstable residents will be forced to travel to Canterbury to collect undelivered post."

Protesters predict it will take posties longer to complete their rounds. The Royal Mail says the changes are part of a modernisation programme that will cut costs and increase efficiency. Canterbury and Whitstable MP Julian Brazier has written to Royal Mail bosses, warning:

"The mail will have to be carried to and from Canterbury by van, rather than bicycle, which seems a retrogressive step at a time when you are publicly committed to greener options."

Postman Chris Stone said:

"There has already been £400 million spent on new machinery which actually slows down delivery. Millions have been spent on new vans to replace bikes."

Mr Stone said he was slightly disappointed by the turnout in Herne Bay - 200 people joined the Whitstable march - but he feels there is time to build the campaign.

HB Times 30th Jun 2011