Royal Mail to convert former egg-packing plant!

Royal Mail bosses have got the green light to convert a former egg-packing plant near Winchester to handle part of their Southampton operation.

Planners gave the scheme to adapt the Humphrey Farms facility their backing.

It is the latest step in the postal service’s GBP10m scheme to move from its West Bay Road site in Southampton docks, which is seeing 245 city workers shifted around the county.

As previously reported in the Daily Echo, the Royal Mail is quitting the historic 10.5 acre site, which at one time handled much of Britain’s overseas post, because it is too expensive to modernise.

As a result, 100 staff will move to Marchwood, while a further 125 who work for Parcelforce are going to Fareham.

The remaining 20 employees are being transferred to the former egg-packing plant at Twyford, that was vacated last year by Freshlay Foods.

Their job will be to sort through international mailbags. The sacks will be empty, with the post having been removed at other sites.

The Twyford workers will then stack the empty bags into several piles, depending on which country’s postal service owns them.

After being sorted, the sacks will be transported back to some of the most far-flung corners of the world.

“Putting it simply, West Bay Road can no longer serve the needs of our operations,” explained Patrick Dempsey of Royal Mail Property Holdings. The accommodation is old-fashioned and constrains our activities, making it far from ideal for both our customers and staff.

“The new facilities will be fit for purpose, will improve the working environment and importantly will help to make our services more efficient and better for customers.”

Twyford Parish Council has also backed the changeover.