Liz Truss weighs in on future of Swaffham's sorting office

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/23211535.l ... ng-office/

Liz Truss, the former prime minister, has expressed concern over the future of a Royal Mail sorting office in her area.

Ms Truss, the MP for South West Norfolk, said people in Swaffham had contacted her with their worries about whether the sorting office on the town’s Lynn Street would remain open.

The former PM, who resigned from the top job in October after just 49 days in office, said she had raised their concerns with Royal Mail.

The company said it was conducting a review of its customer service points across the country, because nationwide footfall to them is some 50pc down from what it was pre-pandemic.

But Ms Truss - who has restarted her monthly emails to constituents after a 15-month gap from June 2021 to November 2022 - has argued rural areas should not be disadvantaged.

Writing in her December update, she said: “We should not be reducing infrastructure from market towns.

“I am concerned residents would have to [travel to] and from King’s Lynn to pick up post.”

The journey to King’s Lynn is a 32-mile, hour-long round trip from Swaffham, and local Conservative district councillor Ian Sherwood said such a move would be “unreasonable and out of order”.

“You have to think of everybody - young and old, public transport and not-public transport,” he said.

“If you were an older resident and you had no transport, it’s just not reasonable to have to go to King’s Lynn or another town to collect your parcel.

“That’s why I’m assuming, because it seems so unreasonable, that that wouldn’t be on the cards.”

Mr Sherwood said the town had already technically lost all its banks, despite some remaining building societies, so the loss of the sorting office would be another hit to the town’s amenities.

In addition to the sorting office, there is a post office in Swaffham just two minutes’ walk down the street, at the McColl’s convenience store, but that provides a different range of services.

Royal Mail said that following the post-pandemic drop in footfall, they were conducting a review to determine the optimum number of customer service point locations, taking into account efficiency and changing customer preferences.

They did not rule out the possibility of closing Swaffham’s sorting office as part of that review.

[neviboss]

Funny how she had no interest in RM whilst PM!

[Jefferson Starfish]

Funny how she had no interest in RM whilst PM!

Was she PM long enough to take an interest?

[Chris19]

If it's unreasonable and saves money RM will close/ stop the service

[DirtyHarry]

Royal Mail is a profit driven business now, not a public service.
When that was made a reality by Truss's party, aided by the Liberals, something had to give, and it wasn't going to be profit, or shareholders dividends.

[scoobydo79]

Lol reduced foot fall is because they are hardly ever open now.

[enskied]

It was Liz Truss that dismissed a question about all this during Prime Minister's Question Time, with a wave of the hand and the comment " They have to modernise."
That was it.
That was in front of a man in a frock coat and Jacob Rees-Mogg

And now she's interested?

[rambo1]

They won't have to go to kings Lynn for pkts they've missed, because that CSP will be closed down too probably.

[Wullie10]

Funny how she had no interest in RM whilst PM!

She wanted us to be unpaid social workers checking on the old and lonely then Dave Ward stole her idea when it suited. Sorry that was the other one. So many of them I lost count

[BenacreNick]

She can naff off too.

Who is she to offer an opinion after all the financial damage she caused in 7 weeks.

[guardianangel]

She has no say in it her Tory party sold it off,you reap what you sow

[POSTMAN]

C word.