Campaign to improve local postal service

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I have been aware for some time that Kingston 's postal service was well below par. I therefore met with the Royal Mail's local managers to voice my concerns and to explore what changes could be made.

Some initial improvement followed, as new machines were installed in the area's sorting office in St.Mary's Road, Surbiton. However, it was obvious that the major problem was that this sorting office could no longer cope with the volume of post: a larger, more modern facility is needed. Moreover, the main Kingston delivery office on Villiers Road also needs extension as the number of local homes has increased significantly in recent years. Both changes would help tackle another local problem, namely high staff turnover in the face of poor working conditions.

The good news is that a new £40 million sorting site is now to be built at Feltham, to replace sorting offices at Surbiton and Twickenham. I have given my full support to this plan which will not only improve the local mail service, but also relieve Surbiton's roads of the dreadful traffic problems caused by the hundreds of Royal Mail vans driving on them each day. I have also urged local postal managers to make improvements at the Villiers Road delivery office a budget priority.

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