Postal disruptions reported in Crowborough – Council demands answers
Crowborough Town Council has formally demanded urgent answers from Royal Mail about persistent postal service disruptions, delivery backlogs and staff shortfalls affecting residents and businesses.
Councillor Matthew Street sent a formal letter on behalf of the council to Royal Mail at the end of last month. This sought a clear timeline for returning to a reliable, six-day-a-week service.
Residents and local businesses have reported severe delays in receiving critical communications. These include medical appointment letters turning up too late for the appointment to be kept, legal documents and financial payments. Some people said they receive post only once a week, or face long gaps followed by a bundle of correspondence held together by a rubber band.
It's understood that Royal Mail has faced high levels of vacancies at local delivery offices, alongside nationwide pressures where hundreds of postal workers are leaving each week. This coincides with a controversial new delivery system. The system is opposed by the Communications Workers Union (CWU) which says 400 men and women delivery staff are leaving each week out of a total workforce of 83,000. The union says this is entirely due to problems with the new delivery system which promises second class mail arriving every other day, thus clearing the way for first class mail and parcels to be delivered every day.
The town council has invited Royal Mail management to attend a public council meeting to address people directly and explain the problem and how it can be resolved.
Royal Mail has said that 2,500 people will be cut from the workforce by 2027. Royal Mail have been invited to comment.