Many residents across Chester South and Eddisbury have contacted their MP, Aphra Brandreth, about delays in receiving their post, with concerns that the service has not been meeting expectations. Residents have also expressed disappointment that the improvements promised following the move of the Tarporley Delivery Office to Crewe have yet to materialise.
To seek answers and push for improvements, Aphra recently met with the Royal Mail team to discuss the ongoing issues and the steps being taken to improve the service.
During the meeting, Aphra was informed that Tarporley is still operating separately from Crewe, which makes it more difficult to bring in additional postal staff when shortages arise. Royal Mail says this will change once the two operations are fully integrated, which is expected to happen by the end of September.
There was some positive news. From the end of September, Tarporley is due to receive three additional posties, increasing the delivery team from 12 to 15 staff. Royal Mail also plans to introduce a new delivery planning system that has been successful in other areas.
Aphra also raised concerns about residents having to travel long distances to collect missed parcels. Royal Mail has introduced Automatic Redelivery, which means missed deliveries will automatically be attempted again on the next working day. Residents can also choose to redirect parcels locally, including to a Post Office. Further information is available here: https://www.royalmail.com/auto-redelivery.
Aphra is also aware of the ongoing issues affecting the Kingsbourne Estate and is expecting a further update from Royal Mail in the near future.
Royal Mail has acknowledged that the current level of service is not good enough and has outlined a plan to improve performance. Aphra will continue to monitor progress closely and hold Royal Mail to account to ensure residents receive the reliable postal service they deserve.
