Postcomm sets clearer rules for exceptions to the universal postal service

Postcomm today announced new rules governing when Royal Mail does not have to make daily deliveries to particular addresses. These rules remove doubt about what delivery arrangements are required from Royal Mail, and what arrangements customers can expect.

Royal Mail has a legal obligation to provide a universal postal service of deliveries six days a week to every home or premises in the UK, subject only to exceptions determined by Postcomm. Such exceptions include addresses where access is via difficult or dangerous terrain (a health and safety exception) or on islands which do not have a daily ferry or air service (a difficulty of access exception).

Following a consultation started in July 2002, Postcomm has today announced its policy. The new policy will not increase the number of long term exceptions, which in the past have numbered between 3,000 and 4,000 addresses out of the 27 million in the UK.