Royal Mail insist on closing Whitchurch sorting office

5.07.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 20th Apr 2009

Royal Mail have confirmed that they will close the Delivery Office in Whitchurch on 2nd May 2009 and transfer its work to Priestley Road on the northern outskirts of Basingstoke.

This follows a vigorous campaign in Whitchurch and Overton to keep the sorting office open. Lib Dem Councillor Keith Watts met senior Royal Mail managers to present the local petition and find out the reasons for closure and intentions for future services.

Royal Mail insist that the costs of keeping the Whitchurch LDO open are too high, closing it means that the large vehicle that brings mail to Whitchurch can be taken off the road and the person who stays in the office to deal with customers can be given a new job in Basingstoke. Local postmen and women will report to Basingstoke for work; half of them drive vans on their rounds, the other half will be brought back here in those vans.

When mail is undelivered for whatever reason, people can arrange free redelivery with the normal post on a day of their choice or for the item to be sent to the local Post Office for pick-up by the customer. In view of our local campaign, Royal Mail will waive the national standard 50 pence charge for collection from Post Offices in Whitchurch and Overton.

Keith Watts commented "this is not a good service. Requests for redelivery or local pick-up have to be made by phone or on-line before 5.0 p.m., then the standard time for the item to get back to Whitchurch is twenty-four hours starting from the next morning. I am very disappointed that Royal Mail have not changed their minds in the light of very strong local protests."