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A timeless feature is set to change on one of Plymouth’s busiest streets – and locals say it’s “really sad”
Plymouth’s historic Barbican is much-loved for being one the oldest parts of the city, but one quaint old-fashioned sight is set to change soon. Across the city – and the rest of the country – some of Royal Mail’s iconic red post boxes are being updated with something much more modern.
Over 3,000 new pillar boxes are being rolled out nationally, but some Plymothians have said changing the Barbican’s classic red post box on Southside Street is a “crazy decision”. This week, the old-style letterbox has been wrapped in black plastic film, with a sign on it reading “out of service, automated system coming soon”.
The move by Royal Mail is to keep pace with modern times, as the UK’s iconic red post-boxes get their biggest redesign in 175 years, the new ones are being called “post-boxes for the future”. They will feature solar panels and parcel scanners as well as allowing people to scan and dispatch their bigger packages without having to pop into a Post Office.
This will mean the post boxes can be used at any time, keeping pace with changing shopping habits and online returns. Some locals have expressed concern at the loss of the traditional post box, especially on Southside Street, but the new-style updated ones will still be red, just more futuristic.
One shop owner said: “The Barbican is a historic area, it should remain that as much as possible.” Another local woman said it was “really sad” to see the old-fashioned one wrapped up, while in other parts of the country people have said the updated letterboxes look “very useful” and “ideal”.
Others have commented that the classic British post box can no longer be adjourned with knitted post box toppers, often placed on the old-style letter boxes to celebrate events, seasons – and particularly at Christmas.
The new post-boxes can be used to easily post packages up to the size of a shoebox – and the new design has been matched to an earlier style from the Victorian era, with added modern-day features.
Royal Mail said customers will now be able to scan a barcode via their app to open a drop-down drawer, designed for parcels too big to fit through the traditional slot. There is a separate slot for letters and cards – and the solar panel powers the scanner and drawer for the parcels.
The post-boxes were piloted in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire in April and have since been rolled across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with cities first in line for the new-age letterboxes.
Jack Clarkson, managing director of out of home and commercial excellence at Royal Mail, said: “We are all sending and returning more parcels than ever before. This trend will only continue as online shopping shows no signs of slowing, particularly with the boom of second-hand marketplaces.
“There are 115,000 post-boxes in the UK located within half a mile of 98% of addresses, making them by far the most convenient network of parcel drop-off points in the UK.
“Our message is clear, if you have a Royal Mail label on your parcel, and it fits, put it in a postbox and we’ll do the rest.”
It’s understood that not all traditional post boxes will change, some old-type letterboxes look set to remain in smaller areas at least for the near future. On Plymouth’s Southside Street, it’s not yet known when the new updated pillarbox will be ready for use again.
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