THE ONGOING and persistent issues with postal deliveries across the Stroud area were discussed at a meeting last week
Stroud MP Siobhan Baillie and several parish councillors met with members from Royal Mail at the delivery office in Salmon Springs Trading Estate to receive an update on postal deliveries in the area.
This comes as important documents, vital medical appointments and test results have all been late with some residents not receiving their post for up to a week at a time.
The MP has raised problems several times in letters and meetings with Royal Mail over what she described as ‘unacceptable’ delays in residents receiving their post.
While the MP says there have recently been improvements, at the meeting she outlined what residents across the district had told her and passed on concerns from parish councils who could not make it.
Those at the meeting with Ms Baillie were Royal Mail’s operations performance lead plus its quality business partner as well as representatives from Rodborough Parish Council, Brimscombe and Thrupp Parish Council and Chalford Parish Council.
Ms Baillie said: “It is a complex picture of issues around recruitment, staff sickness and the previous strikes that are having an adverse effect on deliveries across Stroud district.
“We heard from Royal Mail that it is working hard to improve the service.
“I went through a list of questions that parishioners raised from around Stroud.
"The parish councillors are on the front line in answering questions in their communities and were pleased to hear how each issue is already being addressed.
“It is something I will continue to monitor.
“The coming recruitment and decision to employ additional staff for ten rounds that were being shared amongst existing posties after the pandemic was very welcome.”
Keith Mace said: “It was great to show the MP and parish councillors around the delivery operation in Stroud recently.
“This was an opportunity to show them how we sort and deliver letters and parcels across Stroud and discuss some the challenges we faced in the run up to Christmas.
“To provide a consistent six days a week delivery service to addresses across Stroud, we have changed some delivery rounds and are in the process of recruiting more posties.
“If we cannot deliver to an address we always make it our priority to deliver the next working day.
“We are confident this will improve the service for all customers across Stroud.”
