Related Articles
Royal Mail’s Colchester depot has once again come under fire from the city’s residents who are said to be falling victim to severe postal delays.
According to reports, some homeowners and tenants only receive their mail once a month, with some seeing their lives turned upside down as a result.
Emily Johnson, for example, says she is at her wit’s end with the poor service, as the irregular deliveries have now caused obstacles for her children.
Writing on the Gazette’s Facebook page, she said: “We have missed so many appointments it is ridiculous.
“My son lost his Disability Living Allowance because we never got a renewal letter and pack.
“He also got kicked off speech and language because we never got the appointment letters, and it is a three year wait to re-register.
“We are getting post from two months ago, which is now irrelevant. It’s a nightmare. We can go weeks without any post.”
Rachel Grant has had similar experiences.
She said: “I’m in the CO2 area just off Mersea Road and I’ll be lucky if I get post once a week – it’s been like this for months.
“My kids have missed hospital appointments because of this and I’ve missed important documents needed for legal matters.”
Chris Rafferty’s husband, meanwhile, almost missed an appointment in Basildon, but thanks to his wife contacting the hospital herself they avoided disappointment.
She said: “My husband was sent an appointment letter from Basildon Hospital on March 25 for an appointment today.
“The letter still hasn’t arrived but fortunately I phoned the hospital last week otherwise he would have missed it.”
The latest complaints follow a year’s worth of frustration felt by residents across the city, despite repeated reassurances from Royal Mail that it has “plans in place” to address any delays.
Bosses have also previously said they “are committed to restoring our quality of service to our customers”.
Councillor Julie Young has now said she contacted Royal Mail to get answers back in November 2023 but, as of last month, her letter received no reply.
She said: “When I have posted on Facebook about my actions there have been numerous people both in Greenstead and Longridge who have stated they are not receiving their mail in a timely way.
“Hospital appointments are being missed because the notification letters are not getting through, other personal mail is delayed significantly, and greetings cards go unreceived which is disappointing.
“People also say that next day delivery is being paid for yet it’s not received for a week.
“One resident said they got five weeks’ post in one day, another resident has been to Moorside and collected three and a half weeks’ of mail, including a Mother’s Day card.”
Royal Mail has been contacted for comment.
