Danny Kruger MP has made a public call for Royal Mail to reconsider its decision to close Tidworth sorting office, which will impact thousands of residents, in a public letter sent today (August 18) (below).
Mr Kruger, MP for the Devizes Constituency which includes Tidworth, wrote to Royal Mail in April when closure of Tidworth's sorting office was first raised in a Tidworth Town Council meeting, but received no response.
Mr Kruger said: "I am very disappointed that this closure has now been confirmed, and that representations made by me, Tidworth's former Mayor and Tidworth Town Council were ignored.
"I am concerned particularly for soldiers, military families and everyone else living behind the wire in Tidworth, who will now have to travel to Andover. For those who do not drive, this could mean two bus journeys each way."
Many Tidworth residents have written to Mr Kruger to raise concerns about the closure.
One raised specific concerns about army post, with soldiers or military families waiting for letters from overseas being unable to attend the sorting office in Andover during its opening hurs due to bus times, cost of travel and work hours, as well as relying on swift postal service to receive MoD ID cards.
They said: "The external mail for the whole of Tidworth Garrison Army Units is delivered to this Office, there are over 65 units within Tidworth Garrison, remember that Tidworth is the 2nd largest Super Garrison in the country. Units are not going to allow their personnel to travel to Andover, wait around for their mail – along with the civilians of Andover and Ludgershall having to attend the Andover office, this could take many hours."
Another constituent wrote: "I am very concerned that my current post delivery service will be significantly reduced when The Royal Mail close my local distribution office in Tidworth and move it's operation 10 miles down the road to Andover Hampshire.
"This causes me to be worried that we will get less deliveries and that if we have a parcel delivered we will have to make 20 mile round trip to collect a undelivered parcel. Which whilst for me isn't a problem as I have a car I'm sure you can appreciate for plenty of others who don't have a car this will mean they will have to use the bus service. A service here is very unreliable on the Active8.
"I am also have concerns for the environmental impact moving the office to Tidworth will have with the added fuel consumption Royal Mail will have by only moving out of Andover."
