Postboxes to stay shut for ‘next few months’ as future tech created 200 miles away

Postboxes across Norfolk are to remain out of action for at least “the next few months” as a major upgrade project is completed in Gloucestershire.

Some of the Royal Mail’s classic red boxes have been wrapped up in black bin bags while they are transformed into “postboxes of the future”.

The new version of the postbox will allow customers to send and return parcels up to the size of a shoebox.

The new postboxes of the future feature a solar panel, a barcode scanner and a drop down drawer to enable customers to send parcels (Image: PA Wire/Royal Mail)

But despite being unusable since late August, postboxes earmarked for a futuristic upgrade will remain sealed for at least “the next few months”, it has emerged.

Each postbox can take “several weeks” to upgrade, as they must be measured before having their door ripped off and sent to an engineering centre in Gloucester to be retrofitted.

The new models boast a solar-powered barcode scanner that opens a drop-down drawer to put parcels that would not fit through the traditional postbox slot, which will remain in place.

These futuristic new features then have to be couriered almost 200 miles across the country before being installed in the streets of Norfolk.

It marks the biggest change to postboxes in 175 years, but the so-called high-tech upgrade has some locals fearing they will be flung back into a postal Stone Age.

Marilyn Northwood, 72, who lives in Drayton, said: “Technology has a habit of going wrong.

Postboxes across Norfolk have been wrapped in black bags and left unusable (Image: Submitted)

“Does this new technology mean they will do away with more post offices?

“If they do reduce the number of post boxes or post offices, elderly people who have disabilities like myself will find it harder to post their letters.”

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: “The rollout began in late August and will continue for the next few months.

“The turnaround for the postboxes can be several weeks as each box is individually measured and its door is taken off and retrofitted at our engineering centre in Gloucester.

“The boxes are wrapped to protect them from the weather or vandalism during this time.”

BIGGEST CHANGE IN 175 YEARS

The new smart features of the “postbox of the future” mark the biggest change to the classic design since the 1850s.

The first red postboxes in mainland Britain were erected in 1853.

But a change was made in 1859, which standardised the colour of all postboxes as green.

Complaints were received by people having difficulty finding these green, inconspicuous postboxes.

A return to the more striking red was specified in 1874. It took 10 years to complete the programme of re-painting.