Weymouth residents wait to hear on potential new post box

RESIDENTS in Wyke Regis is waiting with bated breath to find out if a new post box will receive a stamp of approval from Royal Mail.

A potential site on Portland Road has been identified by Royal Mail and investigations are being carried out to determine whether a post box will once again grace the busy main route through Wyke.

As reported, a red pillar box was removed from outside the former Mc Coll’s post office on Portland Road in December at the request of a private landowner.

Residents expressed dismay at the removal, saying the post box was well-used, and in easy reach for the community, particularly the elderly, located amid shops and a community pub.

According to locals, the post box was frequently full, and the nearest alternative post boxes are much smaller as well as being less accessible to people with mobility problems.

Wyke resident Colin Hobbs said: “Since the beginning of the year, a post box which was full almost every day has been missed by residents who have been forced to find an alternative.

“Everyone is hopeful that this valuable amenity can be relocated not too far from its old post office spot.”

The community lost its post office last August when McColl’s convenience store closed. A planning application to develop the building into flats has been submitted to Dorset Council. However the Post Office has said it is advertising for business people to open a new post office at the building, and is encouraging interested parties to apply via its website, runapostoffice.co.uk.

Commenting on the whether a new post box will be installed, a Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We are exploring options for the relocation of the postbox on Portland Road and have identified a potential site nearby which we are now surveying.

“When situating a postbox in a new location, we need to undertake surveys of the location to ensure there are no underground services (power cables, water and sewage pipes, telecoms cables) that would prevent us digging down to install the box.

“In the meantime, customers can use other postboxes in the area or drop off mail at any Post Office branch.”