Sorting office moves town despite thousands of objections

The Royal Mail delivery office in Ossett, on Towngate, has this week moved to Grange Road in Batley - three miles away.

It comes after more than 4,000 campaigners signed a petition objecting to the relocation of the sorting office.

A spokeswoman from Royal Mail said: “Royal Mail has relocated its delivery operations at Osset, into its Batley delivery office.

“The same postmen and women will continue to serve the local community, delivering a high quality service to our customers.”

Royal Mail said people won’t need to travel to the new office in Batley to pick up undelivered items if they are not able.

Instead, these would be left with a nominated neighbour or free re-delivery can be arranged on a convenient day.

Coun Angela Taylor (Con, Ossett) raised concerns when the plans were first revealed and last October started the petition.

She said the move would affect elderly and disabled people in the town because there is no access to the Batley office via public transport.

And Wakefield Council leader Peter Box and the council formally backed the petition.

Royal Mail said the move was part of the firm’s “ongoing transformation” of its business.

The spokeswoman said: “The relocation of Ossett delivery office is part of Royal Mail’s ongoing transformation of its business and its work to increase the efficiency of its operation as well as providing delivery offices that are fit for purpose for our staff and for our customers.

“As a commercial business, Royal Mail is operating in a market where letters are in structural decline and where there is competition in letters and parcels.”

After the relocation plans were announced, concerns were raised that Ossett’s Crown Post Office could also be lost.

But a spokeswoman for the Post Office yesterday said there were “currently no plans to change the way Post Office services are provided in Ossett.”