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Reading MPs pressure Royal Mail over residents' reports of fortnightly post
By Swindon Now Editorial Team · Published
Labour MPs for Reading have demanded urgent answers from Royal Mail after constituents reported that deliveries are being delayed by up to two weeks.
All three Labour MPs representing Reading have launched a formal challenge against the Royal Mail following a surge in reports from residents regarding severe postal delays. Matt Rodda, MP for Reading Central, Olivia Bailey, MP for Reading West and Mid Berkshire, and Yuan Yang, MP for Earley and Woodley, have jointly written to the service provider to demand clarity on current operational failures.
Constituents have reported a decline in service consistency, with many claiming that mail is now arriving only once a week or, in some instances, once a fortnight. The delay in receiving correspondence is causing significant concern, particularly among residents who have missed vital health appointments due to post not arriving in time.
The MPs' letter to the organisation states: We have been told that it is common for constituents to get all post once a week rather than regular deliveries, with some reporting they are receiving post fortnightly. Many constituents report that they have missed long-awaited health appointments due to the delays.
There is growing local concern that staff resources have been disproportionately diverted toward parcel deliveries at the expense of standard letter services. The MPs have requested that Royal Mail provide reassurance regarding when a regular, consistent service will be restored to their constituencies, asking for a clear timeline for these improvements.
Royal Mail maintains delivery offices at Gillette Way in Whitley, Loverock Road in West Reading, and at Suttons Business Park in Earley. Responding to the concerns raised by the MPs, a spokesperson for the company stated that they are aware of the importance of timely delivery for items such as hospital correspondence.
The spokesperson noted that while short-term local issues occasionally affect individual routes, teams are tasked with clearing outstanding mail as quickly as possible. According to the company, performance data for the town is showing signs of improvement, with First Class delivery reliability increasing from 75.4 per cent at the end of the previous financial year to 83.4 per cent in the most recent assessment.
Royal Mail has attributed recent service instability to a wider network transition, including the rollout of a new delivery model across 1,200 offices nationwide. The company has committed to a five-year investment programme worth £500 million aimed at improving national reliability.
Source: Reading Chronicle · View original