UK Isle of Wight may abandon Royal Mail

SUB-POSTMASTERS in the Isle of Wight are considering running their own mail service, with their own stamps and franking, to try to stave off the closure of their rural post offices.

They believe that 35 of the island’s 52 post offices are under threat and claim that their future may depend on declaring independence from the Royal Mail for local collections and deliveries.

Rodney Archer, the secretary of the island branch of the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters, said members had voted unanimously to form their own independent business association to investigate a range of proposals to win new custom, including setting up their own collection, sorting and delivery service.

He said his members were provoked into considering radical measures when they heard a senior executive of the Royal Mail say only 4,000 of the present 14,000 post offices would be needed to meet legal requirements to sustain a service. “We have to fight back and show what a great national asset the local post office is,” he said.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We have no plans whatsoever for widespread closures.”

ISLE OF WIGHT IN POSTAL INDEPENDENCE BID
PA News, p 1 05-08-2006
By PA By Ben Mitchell

Sub-postmasters on a UK island are planning to declare independence from the Royal Mail to try to prevent closure of their rural post offices.

If post office bosses on the Isle of Wight go ahead with the move, it means the island would have its own stamps and franking.

Members of the Isle of Wight branch of the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters (NFSP) have voted to form an independent business association and look at a range of proposals including setting up their own collection, sorting and delivery service.

The move was caused by the group’s fear that 35 of the island’s 52 post offices are under threat.

Rodney Archer, the secretary of the island branch, said: “We are perfectly placed on the island to do it and for post offices to regain their place at the hub of their communities.

“The island having its own separated post-boxes would bring to an end the ridiculous and environmentally unfriendly practice of island mail being taken to Portsmouth, Guildford or Reading to be sorted then brought back.”

Colin Baker, NFSP general secretary, said: “I sympathise with subpostmasters everywhere with their current difficulties and subpostmasters on the Isle of Wight are of course entitled to their opinion.

“I am sure there may be opportunities for mail and cash to stay on the Isle of Wight rather than be sent to Portsmouth for sorting and then sent back to the island again.

“But I am also sure that subpostmasters on the Isle of Wight would not want to declare independence from Royal Mail.

“We want to work with the Government and Post Office Limited to find a post office based solution to the challenges that face the network.”

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “On the Isle of Wight, 270 postmen and women serve 140,000 addresses, six days a week, and they will continue to carry out this vital work for the community.

“Our quality of service is the best on record. We have no plans whatsoever for widespread closures.”