ROYAL Mail is “working through an excess of mail” in a Bradford sorting office as residents from across the district continue to express their frustration over delays.
Severe snowy and icy weather conditions earlier this month resulted in parcel and letter delays.
But ongoing delays and some residents not receiving mail for three weeks have prompted complaints across the Bradford district, particularly from those living in postcodes covering BD13, BD14, BD15, BD16, BD17, and BD18.
A spokesperson for the Royal Mail said on Thursday: “We continue to work through the excess of mail that built up at this delivery office during the period where it was not possible for deliveries to be made.
“It serves a large area so that’s many items of mail that need to be delivered.
“This is progressing with items being delivered daily with all routes being delivered to.”
Kevin Cockerman, of Baildon, said: “I need to highlight a serious situation in the BD17 postal district.
“I have had no mail delivered since January 3 and I’m waiting for several important letters, some of which will probably incur penalties for not taking timely action.
“I have phoned the helpline for the sorting office on two occasions last week and, after holding on for 45 minutes plus, I was pretty much met with the same response – ‘we are looking into it and we will get back to you within 10 working days’.
“I went to the sorting office on Valley Road to collect my mail, but there was a sign on the door which read: ‘Staff are unable to give out items to the following postcodes – BD13, BD14, BD15, BD16, BD17 and BD18'".
He said his brother who lives in Gomersal and lives in a BD19 postcode was able to go to his local sorting office and pick his mail up.
Mr Cockerman added: “The Valley Road sorting office must be pretty full. I don’t how large of pigeon holes they have there, but mine must be pretty full now.
“This is really frustrating. I just want to get a resolution.
“If I had to drive to the other side of Yorkshire to pick up my post, I would.”
Another Baildon resident said: “It has been about three weeks since we had letters delivered to us in Baildon by Royal Mail.
“We are missing time-critical items that results in financial cost.”
A man from Queensbury (BD13), who wanted to remain anonymous, told the T&A this week: “I haven’t had any post for three weeks.
“The snow is gone, but I still haven’t seen a postman.”
The man said he was expecting to receive an item related to his health.
He said: “I’m disabled and I can’t get out regularly. I had a stroke ten years ago, and I have a machine which attaches electrodes to patches on my legs.
“But two of the wires have gone bad, and without those wires I can’t walk."
He said he was waiting on a delivery of the wires.
A man from Denholme, which is in the BD13 postcode, said: “It snowed on January 5/6, so there was some disruption. That's expected.
“By January 8 or 9, most roads were accessible and things began to return to normal.
"However, as of January 21 I still had not received a single letter from Royal Mail.
“Judging by the comments on social media, a lot of other people have not either.
“I see no 'reasonable excuse' for this length of delay.”
Royal Mail said, "severe weather that persisted for a good portion of January, and which resulted in compacted snow and ice, created very difficult conditions that affected a large number of deliveries in the BD postcode".
“Conditions have since improved and we are in the process of returning the service to normal, delivering items that were delayed due to the weather," said a spokesperson.
“We would reassure customers that regular deliveries have resumed with both letters and parcels being delivered every day to all areas.
“We thank customers for their patience and understanding during this period.”
Royal Mail is preparing for more severe weather with Storm Eowyn expected to hit Bradford on Friday.
An amber weather warning for wind covers the district.
The spokesperson added: “We make extensive plans to prepare for severe weather, during that period we monitor conditions locally and continue to deliver where it is safe and appropriate to do so.
“This is the case for areas covered by the amber and yellow warnings which have been issued, it’s based on local risk assessment.
“For red warnings, we suspend local deliveries within the areas covered, as you would expect we do it for the safety of our colleagues.”