Media Release

Press release: Royal Mail blunder closes village post box

Royal Mail have sealed up the post box in Bradford Abbas against the wishes of the villagers and to the anger of the Parish Council.

The post box in question is set in the wall of the Old Post Office building in the centre of the village which changed hands recently.  The occupiers of the building, which no longer operates as a shop / post office, asked Royal Mail to seal up the post box earlier this year.

Royal Mail, who are not legally required to consult with villagers, proposed erecting a new post box a totally unsuitable location on a narrow no through road.

The Parish Council objected to this new location and suggested a better alternative and requested a site visit with Royal Mail representatives to discuss options.  This request has not yet taken place.  Yet today, 7th November 2023, the old post box, which is in the conservation area and is a 'GR' (George V) styled box has been sealed and painted black, leaving residents in a village of around 350 properties without a means of sending a letter.

The Chairman of the Parish Council says 'This action by Royal Mail is perverse, anti -community and hits disadvantaged residents, the elderly, those without cars or other affordable public transport hard at a time of great difficulty in the current economic climate.  On behalf of the Parish Council and the residents of Bradford Abbas I demand that Royal Mail reverse this action immediately and join in talks with the Parish Council about the future of postal services in Bradford Abbas.'

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