Related Articles
Responding to criticism following an article in the Gazette about delays, Royal Mail confirmed that, as of July 26, more than 3,000 addresses in the borough were experiencing postal delays – around four per cent of the 75,662 delivery points it covers.
As previously reported, Royal Mail apologised to residents in the borough who are experiencing delays to their post and said this was because of “high levels of sickness absence” which is causing “some disruption”.
Read more: Royal Mail apologises for disruption to post services in Basingstoke
Dozens of people responded to the article criticising Royal Mail, including a postal worker from Basingstoke who disputed the claim that the service in the town is impacted by staff sickness.
The postal worker said: “There are a tiny amount (single figures) off ill at the moment”.
They claimed that the problems are caused by “unachievable” delivery expectations by managers, adding: “The delivery office is understaffed by around 20 posties even if every single one was in.”
The member of staff also claimed that parcels are “left lying around for days” because of a lack of organisation.
Royal Mail responded to the concerns, saying it is “actively recruiting to fill posts” in the area and has “plans in place for a recruitment drive across the wider south-central area”.
It said delays in Basingstoke, including in Brighton Hill where residents have said there have been delays, are “being kept to a minimum” adding: “Anyone who does not receive their mail on the day they expect will be prioritised and have their post delivered the next immediate day… All mail in the delivery office is being delivered.”
Responding to allegations about post workers having to walk further to make their deliveries, the spokesperson said: “There have been revisions in the area. This is to balance and re-distribute the workload on routes. There are fewer letters being sent, more parcels and more homes, so delivery routes needed to be revised.”
See also: New fine dining restaurant and cocktail bar set to open in Basingstoke in autumn
They added: “Over the last 10 years, the number of addresses we deliver to has grown by more than two million and many postmen and women’s routes have not been revised in this time. This can mean that some routes can be an hour or two longer than others, for example where new housing developments have been built.
“There has been a 25 per cent decline in the volume of letters sent since before the pandemic, during which time the number of parcels has risen. We have therefore revised routes throughout the country to ensure they are fairer and reflect the growth in addresses and parcel deliveries.”
