Post Office closures create 'flood' of pouch box applications

4.01.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 20th May 2008

Alexandra Park Road residents and Cllr Wayne Hoban at site of Royal Mail pouch box

The streets of Alexandra ward in Haringey will soon be blighted by ugly grey boxes if the Council gives the green light to a raft of applications to install Royal Mail pouch boxes. Pouch boxes, used to store mail for onward delivery, will likely now be used more frequently after many local Post Offices are faced with closure. Residents and Liberal Democrat councillor Wayne Hoban expressed their concerns with Haringey Council and Royal Mail after five such planning applications were submitted to the Council in one week.

Cllr Hoban has asked the Council and Royal Mail to relocate a pouch box located in Alexandra Park Road and also to provide him with full details of the criteria used to establish whether the proposed site for erection of a Royal Mail pouch box is appropriate.

Cllr Wayne Hoban (Alexandra) comments:

"I am concerned by the sudden rash of boxes plaguing our streets. Local residents and I have written to Royal Mail and the Council to remove a pouch box erected in a completely inappropriate place. However, after many months, the Royal Mail and the Council still appear to be dragging their feet and have so far refused to relocate it to a more suitable location."

"It is suspicious that the Labour government's recent decision to close local post offices, such as the popular and well used Alexandra Park Road branch, has been closely followed by a massive increase in applications for the installation of pouch boxes in the ward. I have no doubt that the two are connected. It is ironic that at a time when many Councils across the country are taking steps to remove unnecessary street furniture, the Royal Mail is steadily adding to Haringey's street-clutter through such applications."