WARRINGTON North MP Charlotte Nichols says she will continue to press Royal Mail over persistent postal delays affecting residents after receiving a response from the company’s Chief Executive acknowledging widespread problems with the service.
Ms Nichols had raised concerns directly with Royal Mail on behalf of constituents who have reported delays and problems receiving letters, including important and time-sensitive post.
In a letter dated November 2, Royal Mail Chief Executive Alistair Cochrane admitted the company had failed to meet Ofcom’s delivery targets for the past six years and apologised for the disruption experienced by customers.
He outlined a £500 million investment programme over five years, aimed at improving reliability and modernising the postal network, with a commitment to meeting all regulatory quality targets by April 2027.
The response includes some significant figures:
📬 First Class post: The proportion of letters arriving the next working day increased from approximately 76% to 85% between April and June 2026.
📦 Overall deliveries: Royal Mail says 93% of all mail is now arriving on time.
🚚 Delivery changes: More than 90% of its approximately 1,200 delivery offices have moved to a new delivery model, known as DM26.
📮 Falling letter volumes: Annual letter deliveries have fallen from around 20 billion at their peak in 2004/05 to 5.7 billion in 2025/26.
Under the new arrangements, First Class post will retain its six-day delivery service, while Second Class and other non-First Class letters will be reorganised, with deliveries grouped together on fewer days.
Royal Mail says the changes will create a more efficient service, although it acknowledges that less urgent letters may take longer to arrive.
The company is also promising additional resources for the Christmas period, including 22,000 seasonal workers, five extra parcel sort centres, 7,500 hire vans and more than 1,400 additional road haulage contractors each day.
Ms Nichols said:”While there are some encouraging signs of progress, I know that many residents are still experiencing delays on essential deliveries.
“I will continue to push Royal Mail on this issue.”
The acknowledgement from Royal Mail’s Chief Executive will be welcomed by residents who have experienced frustration over late or missing post.
However, for households and businesses across Warrington North, the real test will be whether the promised investment and operational changes lead to a consistent, reliable postal service.
The question now is how quickly residents in Warrington will begin to see a genuine improvement in their daily deliveries.
