The Kent area that is ‘one of the worst in the country’ for postal delays, according to MPs

Residents in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks have endured the “worst ever year for delays” to their post being delivered, said the area’s MPs. They said residents could be left waiting for more than two weeks for important letters, or be flooded with “loads of letters at once”.

The TN postcode area has seen 67 per cent of first class deliveries on time between 2025 and 2025 by Royal Mail, far below the 95 per cent target.

This puts the area among the worst rates in the country, said Mike Martin MP for Tunbridge Wells; Tom Tugendhat MP for Tonbridge and Edenbridge; and Laura Trott MP for Sevenoaks and Swanley.

They said trials at Tonbridge Delivery Office in place since earlier this year had not improved postal delivery for householders, and called for Ofcom to find out what was going wrong locally with post.

In a co-signed letter to Ofcom, UK communications regulator, they said: “Over the last few months, we have received a growing number of complaints from constituents who have told us that problems with their mail have become even worse since the pilot began in April.”

“Many report waiting over two weeks for important letters, including medical appointments, legal documents, and financial statements. On the occasion that deliveries do occur, constituents are flooded with loads of letters at once. This is a clear indication that the piloted model is not working for TN residents.”

They said for residents without access to online alternatives, “dependable postal delivery remains a crucial part of their lives”. And Royal Mail’s most recent ‘quality of service’ report revealed the TN postcode area was one of the worst performing regions in the country.

Royal Mail said in a statement to KentLive, in full at the end of this article, that it took the complaint seriously and was “recruiting to strengthen our delivery teams in the area”.

Royal Mail is being “redesigned”, as letter volumes have halved since 2011 and people receive more parcels, said Ofcom.

Changes include non-first class mail being delivered every other weekday, rather than six days a week. Ofcom said should delivery be decreased to three days a week, the saving would be £400m-£650m. The reforms shift Royal Mail’s focus from delivering letters in favour of delivery parcels, said the MPs.

Trials are being carried out at 37 delivery offices including at Tonbridge in Vale Rise, which delivers to the TN post codes including in Tunbridge Wells and villages in Sevenoaks. But Royal Mail services had “significantly worsened” since the pilot began earlier this year, said the MPs.

They said: “Royal Mail’s changes to their delivery model have not improved the quality of their service for residents in the TN postal area and the reforms must not go ahead.”

“Therefore, we are urging Ofcom to decide against implementing Royal Mail’s proposed USO (universal service obligation) reforms this summer. We also request that Ofcom examines the quality of Royal Mail’s service in the TN postcode area (the service from the Sevenoaks sorting office is also unacceptable) and take action to resolve the issues leading to infrequent deliveries.”

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Across the UK, the vast majority of First Class letters arrive the next working day, with 92.3 per cent delivered within two days. However, we recognise that performance in some areas has fallen short, and we’re working hard to improve service levels.”

“We are sorry to hear about the concerns raised and take them seriously. We understand how important timely and reliable deliveries are, especially for urgent or time-sensitive items.”

“We have been recruiting to strengthen our delivery teams in the area and encourage any residents experiencing problems to contact us directly so we can investigate.”

Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive your daily dose of KentLive content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice

Get more Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks news from KentLive straight to your inbox for free HERE.