Royal Mail slammed over closure plan

A COUNCILLOR has slammed Royal Mail over its proposals to close a Warrington sorting office.
Coun Pam Marks says the whole idea of closing the sorting office in Bridgewater Street, Lymm, would lead to a poorer service for village residents and would not, in the long term, prove cost effective for Royal Mail.
In fact, Royal Mail had put off the closure pending talks to find alternative premises in Lymm, following a strike threat by the 14 postal workers based in the village.
Coun Marks says she is relieved the closure, which would involve moving the workforce to Altrincham, has been delayed.
The local postmen provide a high quality service and have a great deal of local knowledge which they use with initiative. Losing such a workforce can only be detrimental to the postal service, she said
“Secondly, with the present concerns about global warming and the use of fossil fuels, it seem ridiculous to send a complete workforce in their own cars on a daily round trip of about 16 miles to collect their deliveries when at present a high proportion of them walk to the Lymm sorting because they have been recruited locally.”
Coun Marks asks where the postmen are to park their cars on their return to Lymm.
Currently, the postmen use pedal cycles and she wonder where these will be kept.
The present owner of the current sorting office is, says Coun Marks, willing to refurbish the building to bring it up to the standards require by Royal Mail and has also offered a long lease.
The councillor adds: “I am sure that if you had consulted with the parish council and the local workers instead of ‘briefing’ us after the decision had been made, a more viable, environmental, economically sound and user friend outcome could have been achieved.”