Alternative local collection point for Hornsey refused by Royal Mail

Posted on 18th Nov 2014 by Lynne Featherstone

Lynne Featherstone MP last week met with Royal Mail, to present the complaints received by residents following the closure of Hornsey Sorting Office.

Royal Mail closed the office – which was also a parcel collection point – in September, despite a campaign led by Lynne Featherstone MP, which had the support of over 1000 local residents. The new Royal Mail sorting office and collection point is located in N19.

Following the closure, Royal Mail promised the local MP and local residents that a new free re-delivery service would start, which would mean residents would still receive parcels without having to pay extra, or travel to N19 to pick it up.

However, residents are not satisfied with the replacement service, with dozens reporting delays and errors with the service.

During the meeting, Royal Mail refused the request to install a free, local collection point – but they did commit to investigating all the complaints and acting on them to improve the service they provide.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“The closure of the local sorting office was a huge blow. Residents and I worked together for two years to hold off the closure, but eventually the service was relocated by Royal Mail.

“And if the complaints I’ve received by my constituents are anything to go by, the Royal Mail redelivery scheme clearly isn’t working as it’s supposed to. Residents are having to pay more for redelivery, or make the long journey to the Bush Industrial Estate to get their parcels.

“This is not convenient for elderly or disabled people, those with small children, or people with limited free time. I will forward all the complaints and keep pushing Royal Mail to improve services, particularly in run up to Christmas.”

Lynne Featherstone MP calls meeting with Royal Mail following floods of complaints

Posted on 17th Oct 2014 by Lynne Featherstone

Lynne Featherstone MP has set up a meeting with Royal Mail chiefs, following daily complaints by local residents about their parcel delivery and collection service.

Royal Mail closed their Sorting Office in Hornsey on the 22^nd September, and relocated the service to an office on the Bush Industrial Estate in N19.

The closure, first proposed by Royal Mail in 2012, eventually occurred despite a campaign to save the office, which was led by Lynne Featherstone MP and had the support of over 1000 local residents.

Royal Mail agreed to pilot a new redelivery scheme in the local area following the closure, in order to mitigate the inconvenience to residents. However, residents have contacted the local MP to inform her that the service is not working.

Lynne Featherstone MP said:

“Local residents and I campaigned successfully for two years to keep Hornsey Sorting Office open. It was a huge blow last month when Royal Mail abruptly closed the office and relocated the services.

“Now, residents are faced with travelling to N19 to pick up their parcels, or to pay to have them delivered to a local collection point. Royal Mail told us that the new redelivery scheme would solve the problem – but it doesn’t seem to be working.

“I’ve arranged a meeting with Royal Mail so I can pass on all the feedback from local residents. Hopefully they can use it to vastly improve the redelivery system in the run up to Christmas. I’ll also be reminding them of my call for a ‘like-for-like’ replacement service – which would be a free, local, parcel collection point.”

Lynne Featherstone MP calls for better replacement services as Royal Mail pushes ahead with local closure

Posted on 5th Aug 2014 by Lynne Featherstone

Lynne Featherstone MP and Haringey Lib Dem leader, Cllr Sarah Elliott, met with representatives from Royal Mail last week to discuss the closure of the local Hornsey Sorting Office and parcel collection point.

The local MP for Hornsey and Wood Green had campaigned to halt the plans to close the current site on Tottenham Lane and move the services to the Bush Industrial Estate in N19. Over 1000 residents signed the Lib Dem MPs petition supporting her call.

At the meeting, representatives from Royal Mail told the MP that they would be pressing ahead with the closure, but will be trialling a new service to minimise the impact.

Delivery of all parcels in the area will be attempted between 7am and 9am in an effort to ensure a high successful delivery rate. If the resident is not available to receive the parcel, redelivery will automatically be reattempted the next day between the same hours.

This will be the first time that the service has been trialled anywhere in the country outside of the busy Christmas period, and comes as a result of direct pressure from local residents and Lynne Featherstone MP’s campaign to protect or replace the current service.

But, Lynne Featherstone MP is continuing to press for a like for like replacement service and more flexible redelivery options, in order to offer local people as little disruption as possible.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented

“Royal Mail are reluctant to replace the Hornsey Sorting Office with a like for like alternative in the area, for financial and logistical reasons. But local residents that rely on the service must come first. I do not feel that Royal Mail’s proposed solution goes far enough.

“Customers need the level of service and flexibility they have now and this scheme does not provide that. I think there needs to be more specific redelivery times, which can be specified by the customers – to avoid disruption and spending any hours waiting in for a parcel at the weekend.

“I will be watching their pilot scheme closely but at the same time I shall continue to campaign on the behalf of local people for proper replacement services.”

Over 700 local residents sign Lynne Featherstone MP’s Royal Mail petition

Posted on 25th Jul 2014 by Lynne Featherstone

Over 700 local residents have signed Lynne Featherstone’s recent petition, calling on Royal Mail to rethink the closure of Hornsey Delivery Office.

The petition was launched last week, in response to Royal Mail announcing that the delivery office would close, and that services would relocate to the Bush Industrial Estate in N19.

The move means that residents would have to make longer journeys to collect undelivered parcels.

Royal Mail attempted the same move in 2012, but eventually postponed the plans indefinitely in the face of the local Lib Dem and resident campaign.

The Liberal Democrat MP will meet with Royal Mail representatives next week to present the petition, and ask for a replacement parcel collection point in the N8 area.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“The strength of feeling on this is clear. Ideally, we want the office to stay where it is and to carry on operating as normal. But at the very least, we need a place in N8 where we can collect our undelivered parcels. Many residents simply won’t be able to travel all the way to N19.

“This weekend the local Lib Dems and I will be out on the streets trying to get more signatures for the petition – the more we get, the more weight it will carry.

“I’ll present the petition to Royal Mail on Thursday, and argue strongly for a local parcel collection point to stay in N8.”

Campaign to save parcel collection point in Hornsey starts again…

Posted on 15th Jul 2014 by Lynne Featherstone

I have just heard, via a Royal Mail press release, that Hornsey Delivery Office and parcel collection point will be relocated in September – to the Bush Industrial Estate in N19.

I am angry – to say the least!

After local residents and I successfully campaigned to prevent the closure in 2012, Royal Mail assured me that I would be kept informed of any future plans. Yet this came out of the blue. Just two weeks ago, a Royal Mail representative wrote to me saying: ‘I can confirm that there are no plans in place to close Hornsey Delivery Office.’

This is simply unacceptable. Royal Mail have not taken into account the views and needs of local people and customers. The Delivery Office and parcel collection point are vital and valuable local resources. Many residents simply won’t be able to travel all the way to N19 to pick up their parcels – so will be forced to pay for redelivery.

Even if we can’t save the Office itself, the local Lib Dems and I will fight with residents again to keep a parcel collection service in N8. I have already called a meeting with the top officers at Royal Mail and will be putting the case very strongly to them.

Residents can sign the petition calling on Royal Mail to rethink and retain a free, local, parcel collection point here.

Lynne Featherstone MP stands up for local sorting offices

Posted on 11th Oct 2012 by Lynne Featherstone

Lynne Featherstone MP and local Liberal Democrat Councillors met with Royal Mail officials today, in response to the organisation’s plans to close and relocate local sorting offices.

The Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood argued strongly against current reorganisation plans, which would make it harder for residents to collect their parcels and registered post. The MP also pushed for local collection points to be retained in the N8 area, and across the borough.

The N6 and N4 area will also be affected, with the services at the current offices in Holloway and at the Harringay Arena being relocated to an industrial estate in Upper Holloway.The plans, which affect 25,293 addresses, include the closure of the Hornsey office on Tottenham Lane. This office, which serves the entire N8 area, will be moved to Holloway. As a result, residents will have to make longer and more expensive journeys to collect their undelivered parcels.

Following the announcement, Lynne Featherstone and the Haringey Liberal Democrats launched a petition to save the local sorting offices and services. Over 1000 residents have already registered their support for the campaign.

Following the meeting, Haringey Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Richard Wilson said:

“It is unacceptable that Royal Mail expect N8 and N4 residents to travel all the way to Holloway to collect parcels. Residents are seriously unhappy and over 1,000 have already signed our petitions.

“Royal Mail should listen to its customers and continue to provide and free and convenient local collection points, if it wants people to keep sending parcels through its service.”

Commenting, Lynne Featherstone MP said:

“This issue is incredibly important to local residents. If the current plans go ahead, there will certainly be more losers than winners. It is vital that Royal Mail takes another look at these unfeasible plans.

“The Haringey Liberal Democrats and I are fighting hard to save the sorting offices and keep services truly local. I encourage all residents to sign the petitions, to show royal mail the strength of feeling on this issue.”

You can join the hundreds of people who have already signed the Hornsey sorting office petition by visiting: http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/parcelhornsey

Or if you use the Green Lanes delivery office, you can sign this petition: http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/parcelgreenlanes