Bradley Thomas MP has vowed to continue working to secure improvements to Royal Mail’s postal delivery service as Ofcom responds to his survey results.
Following a number of complaints he has received from residents about unreliable postal deliveries, the local MP launched a survey to better understand the scale of the issue across Bromsgrove and the Villages.
258 residents responded to the survey, of which 87% said that the postal delivery service they’re receiving is ‘not very reliable.’
When asked if they had missed an important appointment because their post was not delivered on time, 35% of respondents said they had.
96% of residents who responded to the survey also said that they believe Royal Mail's postal delivery service needs improving.
As part of his efforts to secure improvements to the postal delivery service, Bradley has met with Royal Mail to raise residents’ concerns about the state of the postal service in Bromsgrove and the Villages.
And in Parliament, Bradley has urged the Government to get together with the management of Royal Mail and Ofcom to deliver an action plan to ensure local residents receive an improved service.
Bradley escalated residents’ concerns further by writing to the Chief Executive of Ofcom, Dame Melanie Dawes. Ofcom monitors the efficiency of the UK’s universal postal service, including delivery targets and pricing.
Dame Melanie has now responded. In her letter she has said that Royal Mail’s “current performance is not acceptable” and explained that, as well as fining Royal Mail, Ofcom has been calling on the company to publicly set out a credible plan for change, backed by investment.
Royal Mail have recently published their delivery improvement plan, which included a commitment to invest £500 million over the next five years, and milestones to reach its annual delivery targets over the next 12 months.
Bradley said:
“I want to stress once again that my issue is not with our hardworking postmen and women. My issue is with how the Royal Mail is currently being run.
“The action set out by Dame Melanie is exactly what I’ve been calling for and I’m grateful to her for her response.
“The time for platitudes from the Royal Mail is over, residents deserve real action. We must therefore see the Government deliver an action plan for the Royal Mail, so we see an improved service that residents deserve, and I’ll continue to call for this in Parliament.”
