This is the third in a series of three updates on the closure of the Royal Mail Sorting Office at 130 Cubie Street, Glasgow, G40 2AF and subsequent relocation to Glasgow South East Delivery Office, 14 Fullarton Drive, Glasgow, G32 8FA. Part 1: ‘Introduction’ is here. Part 2: ‘Update’ is here.
In recent weeks Dennistoun Community Council has been providing information and updates on the proposed closure of Cubie Street sorting office by Royal Mail, and the subsequent transfer of services to a site in Cambuslang.
Representatives from Bridgeton & Dalmarnock, Calton, and Dennistoun community councils, supported by local elected representatives from the G31 and G40 postcode areas in the East End of Glasgow have been working together to support the SOSO (save our sorting office) campaign.
The main aims of SOSO have been to convey the impact this move will have on local residents and businesses; encourage Royal Mail to balance service with profits and keep the local facility open; to highlight dismay at Royal Mail’s lack of engagement and communication about the move.
One of the first initiatives by SOSO was to formally clarify with Royal Mail exactly what the plans were, as the scant information that was available had been entirely unofficial. The next move was to organise a well attended public meeting that gave local people the opportunity to put their concerns directly to Royal Mail representatives, and allowed Royal Mail the chance to respond accordingly.
These direct SOSO efforts were supported by a paper and online petition which attracted thousands of signatures of support. In addition to that, formal motions were lodged at both City Council and Scottish Parliament level. The SOSO campaign also attracted media attention in the form of a ReGEN newspaper front page story, plus articles in the Evening Times and on STV Online.
Despite this overwhelming level of support from all local quarters for the continuation of a truly local service, rather than relocation to a site on a remote industrial estate, the proposed closure looks set to go ahead on Monday 28th January. Royal Mail have said they will be communicating their intentions and publicising the changes that will be taking place as a result of the closure. The following letter received by Dennistoun Community Council is a part of that effort:
RELOCATION OF GLASGOW G31/G40 DELIVERY OFFICE
27 December 2012
I am writing to explain the important change that we are due to make to our services in your area. Royal Mail will be relocating the Glasgow G31/G40 [Cubie Street] Delivery Office into brand new premises as part of it’s ongoing modernisation programme in the Glasgow area.
The Delivery Office, which serves customers in the G31 and G40 postcode areas of Glasgow is currently located at 130 Cubie Street, Glasgow, G40 2AF. From Monday 28 January, it will relocate to a brand new delivery office at Glasgow South East Delivery Office, 14 Fullarton Drive, Glasgow, G32 8FA.
The move allows Royal Mail to take advantage of brand new, modern facilities at Glasgow South East, and underlines the company’s commitment to improving mail services and investing in Glasgow.
Customers will also benefit from extended opening hours. The opening hours at the new location are: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 07:00 to 18:00, Wednesday 07:00 to 20:00, Saturday 07:00 to 14:00.
Customers will not need to travel to the new delivery office to pick up parcels if they don’t want to. Royal Mail operates a free redelivery service to the customers address on their preferred day or to another address in the same postcode area again on their preferred day including Saturdays.
As part of our business-wide investment and modernisation programme, Royal Mail is investing in new technology, equipment, vans and upgraded operational facilities to ensure we have world class facilities. These new facilities will provide the most efficient and effective network for delivering the post. With declining mail volumes and increasingly tough trading conditions, Royal Mail constantly reviews the operational efficiency and commercial practicality of all its units.
This move is part of our continuous drive to deliver great service to customers.
The change will mean that customers in the G31 and G40 postcode areas will now pick up parcels and packets on occasions when a “Something for you card” has been left by the postman at Glasgow South East Delivery Office. This allows our customers to collect these items over a significantly greater period of opening hours.
If we’ve left a ‘Something for you’ card, customers can arrange for the item to be delivered free to their address or possibly another address within the same postcode area, including some Post Office branches for a small fee. Full details can be found at www.royalmail.com/redelivery.
Glasgow South East Delivery Office currently serves customers in the G32, G72 and G73 postcode areas. From the 28 January it will serve an additional 21,409 business and residential customers in the Glasgow G31 and G40 postcode areas.
Royal Mail will carry out a major information campaign across the G31 and G40 postcode areas to inform all business and residential customers of the changes. Every customer will receive a leaflet through their door commencing 27 December explaining the changes and setting out the opening times of the office.
Posters will also be displayed at G31/G40 Delivery Office informing customers of the move.
Among the services we will be providing at Glasgow South East Delivery Office will be:
- General information about Royal Mail services
- Call and Collect
- Mail holding service during holidays (Keepsafe)
- Mail collection point
- Private box facility
- Redirection of mail service
- Surcharged items
Yours sincerely…
- You can visit and like the SOSO facebook site at www.facebook.com/SOSOCubieSt
- You can contact the SOSO campaign directly via sosocubiest@yahoo.com
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