Royal Mail heavily restricts counter times at collection offices for parishioners

Royal Mail have, with little visible promotion, if any, suddenly and dramatically reduced the opening times of their collection offices.

Meridian, for example, used to be open 8am-6pm, and even till 7pm on Thursdays. The public can now only visit from 8-10 and 4-6, at best, and for just two hours from 8-10 at worst. To make matters worse, the new times are not on the website, and can only be viewed when you arrive to collect your post, to find the door locked.

So, if you have school aged children, are a pensioner, want to pop out on your lunch break, or run a business that drops mail off at Meridian, you are out of luck. This shocking decision is being replicated all over the country, at a time when Royal Mail is widely perceived to be failing in the contract it holds to deliver our mail.

We would STRONGLY advise our member councils to make representations to their local MP on this issue, and write to Royal Mail directly demanding an explanation for electors in your area.