Royal Mail surrenders after two-year battle with angry Plymouth village

A Plymouth village has won a two-year battle with Royal Mail after the delivery company finally reinstalled a post box that was removed without permission two years ago. The original post box was removed without planning permission by a kebab shop owner and sparked outcry among residents and businesses, with a two-year campaign being launched in response to the withdrawal of the much-needed community asset.

Royal Mail is said to have originally decided not to replace the box after the original was removed. But there was a U-turn on this decision after MP Luke Pollard and local Labour councillors to the campaign all the way to Parliament.

Mr Pollard and Stoke councillors Jemima Laing, Tom Briars-Delve and Sally Cresswell convinced Royal Mail to go back on its original decision and agree to replace the post box.

Hundreds of Stoke residents signed Plymouth Labour’s petition calling for the post box’s return, which Luke presented to Parliament in July 2021. Even the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, added his support to the petition.

Stoke’s Labour councillors took the post box campaign to the city council’s Conservative-dominated Planning Committee, fighting a retrospective planning application that could have jeopardised the post box’s return and greenlighted “future acts of vandalism” according to Councillor Sally Cresswell.

Luke Pollard, Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said: “Through teamwork and persistence, Stoke finally has its post box back. This is a big win for residents and local businesses, including the hundreds of people who signed my petition. They should never have had their post box removed in the first place.

“I’m grateful to Royal Mail for listening to the campaign that I ran with Stoke’s three Labour councillors. It was a team effort and I’m glad we got it over the line for our community. I’ll keep fighting for Plymouth’s community infrastructure, big and small”.

Jemima Laing, Labour councillor for Stoke ward, said: “It really is thrilling to see a post box back in its rightful place in the centre of Stoke Village.

“It’s been very gratifying to see our MP, the councillors and the local community working together to get this vital bit of infrastructure reinstated in this busy retail centre in the middle of Stoke ward.”

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