‘Act of vandalism’ as Stoke Village’s post box removed by kebab shop

Stoke Village could be set to get its post box back after an ‘act of vandalism’ removed it. Hundreds of locals had signed a petition calling for the return of the post box in Devonport Road which had been removed by a kebab shop owner when opening a new venture.

Luke Pollard, MP for Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport, said that he had secured a commitment from Royal Mail to restore the Post Box in Stoke Village. But that was dependent on Plymouth City Council’s planning committee rejecting a linked-yet-unrelated scheme.

The former post office has been converted in a kebab house, with plans for the change of use granted back in 2020. But while the work was carried out, plans to alter the frontage of the shop, which included removing the post box, were never applied for at the time.

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A retrospective planning application went before Plymouth City Council’s planning committee last week for the alteration of the shopfront, which included the removal of the post box by the applicant. But the issue of whether the post box would be reinstated dominated and loomed large over the discussions.

Royal Mail have said they will not replace the Post Box if the application to remove the original post box is approved. Stoke Ward’s three Labour councillors Sally Cresswell, Jemima Laing and Tom Briars Delve have all been campaigning for the restoration of the Stoke Village post box. Cllr Cresswell has warned the Council they “cannot afford to set a precedent” in rewarding vandalism.

However, despite the retrospective planning application referring to the removal of the post box, councillors were told that it was classed as permitted development and as such, Royal Mail are able to install or remove post boxes as they like. Councillors wanted to bring back the post box to the area, but eventually voted to defer the decision for a month to write to Royal Mail to ask for clarity as to what their plans were.

Cllr Creswell, who brought a post box prop into the council chamber with her, said that if localism means anything it shouldn’t mean that a landlord can remove a post box and so deprive a community of its local amenities – in this case the right to post letters. The Council cannot afford to set a precedent here, she said.

She added: “The post office is vital to the local community as not everyone uses the internet. There is a lot to be said for sending and receiving letters. The local community miss this resource as to businesses.

“We campaigned to get the post box back. Royal Mail made it clear they never gave permission for it to be removed.

“Royal Mail have agreed that it will put a post box back into Stoke village – but only if it is agreed that it was removed without planning permission. So members have to refuse the retrospective planning here today.

“They will put it back and they will find a suitable place to do put one in the village. If you reject this, we get our post box, and no-one is footing the bill as Royal Mail will pay for it.

“The removal of the post box could be seen as an act of vandalism. If you waive this through, it is giving green light for others to do something similar. Do the right thing.”

Planning officer Emily Godwin outlined the committee that as the application related to alterations to the shopfront, officers are of the view that these works are minor in scale and themselves would therefore be unlikely to lead to any detrimental impact in relation to the above concerns raised. The actual change of use had already been agreed.

She said that the removal of the post box is not a planning issue, adding: “Royal Mail can undertake any works for the provision of postal services and can remove any. This is not a planning issue.

“Officers are aware that the main concerns related to this application are regarding the loss of the post box, and the subsequent impacts of its removal from the application site on the local community. To this end, any works to post boxes are therefore a separate process to the planning system, and as such the removal of the post box is not a material planning consideration.

“This means that any impacts as a result of its removal, such as those raised in the letters, cannot be used to provide weight in the determination of the planning application. Therefore, the removal of the post box and associated shop front alterations will be assessed according to the visual impact, impact on amenity and impact on the historic environment.”

Cllr Bill Stevens said that what should have happened was that a change of use for the interior and one for the alteration for the front should have had been applied for back in 2020. “That we have them at different times is a problem for the applicant. It had been done the wrong away around. I will be voting against it,” he said.

But Cllr Patrick Nicholson said that the fact the post box was not in use prior to its removal has muddied the water of the whole issue. He said: “We don’t like retrospective applications but they come and it was empty for some time.

“The shopfront is supporting a business in a district shopping centre. Here to deal with the planning application about the shopfront is being influenced by a separate debate with the post office about the post box.

“But this is a planning matter, and I don’t see the post box is the issue. We have a business so why wouldn’t the current frontage not be suitable for the intended use?”

However, in light of the concerns, he called for the decision to be deferred. He added: “We should write to the Post Office and see what response we get back.

“I am minded to support this, but a delay of a month would be fair and reusable. The item should be deferred on the basis the city council write to the post office about locations of alternative post box locations in Stoke village and come back to the next meeting.”

Councillors voted by seven votes to six, with all Conservative members voting for, and all Labour members voting against, the deferral for a month. The retrospective application for the change of use to the shopfront will come back from the committee in July.

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