RESIDENTS of Chawleigh, Eggesford and other remote parts of the EX18 postal area are claiming they are being “let down” by Royal Mail because they say they are not receiving a six-days-a-week postal delivery service.

One local resident told the “Courier”: “It is as if the EX18 postal area doesn’t exist.

“We have recently had our mail delivered just once a week, which is not good enough when you are expecting urgent mail such as details about a doctor’s appointment or awaiting some legal documents.

“I have complained to our local Sorting Office at South Molton and was told it was because of ‘management re-organisation’.

“It is like we don’t count any more.

“When the mail does arrive we are getting great piles of it.

“I know that the Royal Mail Warrant says that the service should deliver six-days-a-week but here Royal Mail is not fulfilling these obligations which were set in law.

“I have spoken to our local district councillor about this and also raised it with Central Devon MP Mel Stride.”

ROYAL MAIL APOLOGY

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We are very sorry for the delays reported by some of your readers in the EX18 area.

“If these customers would like to share their details with us through the ‘Crediton Courier’, then we would be happy to contact them to discuss resolving their complaints.

“Over the last 10 years, the number of addresses we deliver to nationally has grown by more than two million, and many postmen and women’s routes have not been revised in this time.

“This can mean that some routes can be an hour or two longer than others, for example where new housing developments have been built.

“Our latest quarterly results show a 25 per cent decline in the volume of letters sent since before the pandemic, during which time the number of parcels has risen.

“We have therefore revised routes throughout the country to ensure they are fairer and reflect the growth in addresses and parcel deliveries.

“We recently experienced some delays during the implementation phase of such a revision locally in EX18, and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

“We are taking steps to ensure that residents receive a service of the standard that they expect from Royal Mail.

“Deliveries are taking place six days-a-week when there is mail to be delivered.

“If and when a particular local delivery route experiences delays, we rotate deliveries to prioritise that route the next day, so that no customers should experience delays for more than one day.

“Anyone who has concerns about the delivery of their mail should contact Royal Mail customer service on 03457 740740 or via: www.royalmail.com .”

• Are you experiencing issues with your postal delivery service from Royal Mail?

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Write a letter with your comments, and include your name, address and a daytime telephone number, to: The Editor, Crediton Courier, 102 High Street, Crediton EX17 3LF.

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