Local delivery services must see impact of Royal Mail changes

Changes to Royal Mail’s “Universal Service Delivery Plan” must have a real impact locally, says Hazel Grove MP Lisa Smart, who has written to local bosses to see what the new plan will achieve in practice. 

The plan sets out national funding to get new posties in place, targeted support for the lowest-performing delivery offices, and additional investment to help manage sickness absences. The MP has written to the local delivery office to find out how much of the national £500 million in funding will be spent in our area.

Lib Dem MP Lisa Smart said: “I have spoken to far too many people who have been getting appointment letters too late, whose mail turns up in bundles once or twice a week, and who frankly can’t rely on the post to work the way it should.

“When you have local posties in place who have the time to get their daily deliveries done, it makes such a difference, and that’s what we need to see across our area.

The delivery plan sets out forecast delivery improvements with quarterly targets to improve services across the country, and the MP has asked for a timeline of when local services are expected to meet those national targets. 

MP Lisa Smart added: “The world is changing, we all know that. We all accept that services may change, but what is important is setting standards and meeting them. People need to know that if they are promised a service, it will be met, and all too often it isn’t being. 

“I hope this is the first step in the right direction. And I’ll be keeping the pressure on Royal Mail to make sure this isn’t just a plan, it is actually about delivery.”