Move of Chiswick Delivery Office To Bollo Lane Confirmed

Roayl Mail say relocation will lead to more efficiency and longer opening hours

The Royal Mail is going ahead with its plan to move the delivery and enquiry office from Chiswick to its depot in Bollo Lane in Acton.

There has been a good deal of local opposition to the plan, and local MP Ruth Cadbury had asked Royal Mail to think of the impact on the community.

The move will take place on May 2019. Royal Mail confirmed the decision to chiswickw4.com today and issued a statement (see below) saying it had taken the decision after consultation with the union involved.

You can read how local people feel about the decision, and a reader's suggestion to mount a campaign against closure of the Chiswick office.

Many elderly people have complained that they will be unable to get to Bollo Lane easily on public transport.

The Post Office and the convenience store which currently operates at the Heathfield Terrace site is not affected by this move. Post Office Ltd is responsible for accepting parcels and letters whereas Royal Mail handles delivery and mail collection.

The Royal Mail said in a statement, "Royal Mail has confirmed that it is to relocate Chiswick Delivery Office to Action from May 2019. This follows detailed discussions with the CWU and our people in both offices.

"The proposed new location, at Acton delivery office, has sufficient space for our Chiswick delivery operations.

"This is part of Royal Mail’s ongoing transformation of its business to increase the efficiency of its operation as well as providing delivery offices which are fit for purpose for our people and for our customers.

"As a commercial business, Royal Mail is responding to the huge growth in electronic communications and decline in letter volumes, while seeing a high volume of parcels and online shopping which need to be delivered to customers.

"When the relocation goes ahead, there will be no impact on deliveries to our customers. The postmen and women who work in Chiswick delivery office would continue to serve the local community, delivering a high quality service to our customers. "

They recommend that customers nominate a neighbour to accept deliveries for them when they are not at home and this can be done by filling in a form at the delivery office.

Customers can also arrange a redelivery free of charge on a day that is convenient for them (including Saturdays), or Royal Mail can deliver the item to a different address within the same postcode area. This service can be arranged by calling the number on the “Something for You” card the Royal Mail leave or by visiting their website.

If customers need collect mail from because they were not at home when Royal Mail tried to deliver it, they will collect mail from the customer service point at Acton delivery office. This office is open longer than the office in Chiswick by 16 hours a week, including two late nights on a Wednesday and Thursday and opening on a Sunday from 11am until 3pm.

The Royal Mail say that if this move goes ahead, there would be no compulsory redundancies.

Ruth Cadbury said: “This will result in a loss of service to Chiswick residents and overcrowded working conditions for the staff.”

"The move will add more vans on Bollo Lane in the morning peak, which is already hugely congested, and could mean delayed deliveries. Local residents will no longer be able to collect their parcels from the High Road Post Office and this will impact particularly on elderly and disabled residents. Furthermore the Royal Mail Union CWU has told me of their concerns about shoehorning the Chiswick team into the Acton depot, and what that will mean for working conditions and the efficiency of the mail sorting process. ”

September 10, 2018