Management changes and backlog cleared at Thatcham Sorting Office, says Royal Mail

Royal Mail has said the backlog at Thatcham Sorting Office has been cleared.

Earlier this year a Thatcham councillor said the least Royal Mail should do is apologise after the town became what he called a ‘letter free zone’.

Missed hospital appointments and late wedding invitations were the consequences of late postal deliveries in Thatcham late last year and early this year.

Councillor Owen Jeffery subsequently wrote a letter to Royal Mail addressing his concerns, on February 13.

He received a response on March 8, sent by the postal company on March 2.

Royal Mail’s senior public affairs manager Michael Hogg said, in his letter to Mr Jeffery: “Delivering a reliable service is our top priority and I am very sorry you have cause for concern.

“We recognise that mail deliveries to addresses in Thatcham have been below the standard that residents and local businesses should expect and we unreservedly apologies for it.”

Mr Hogg told Mr Jeffery that the Thatcham Delivery Office experienced resourcing issues when problems were being reported in December last year.

These were due to lower than normal absence, as well as a high number of vacancies – to which it is currently recruiting.

He said industrial action also led to some of the disruption.

A thorough review of Thatcham Delivery Office has taken place and changes have been implemented to the local management with new resource brought in to ensure mail deliveries to all addresses in Thatcham take place six days a week.

He said: “We are now confident that the local operation is functioning as it should and the backlog has been completely cleared.

“The situation is being closely monitored by the operation performance lead and I am being kept updated.”

He said the “rapidly changing nature of the postbag” means that people receive more parcels and fewer letters.

He said: “Since the start of the pandemic there has been a rapid acceleration in the decline of letters and an increase in parcels.

“We continually review delivery rounds, including those which service Thatcham.

“This is to ensure that postmen and women each have a fair distribution of workload.

“After a review of delivery rounds served by Thatcham Delivery Office, changes are currently being implemented.

“This means that every delivery round that originates from Thatcham Delivery Office will be changing.”