Back in 2011, Royal Mail closed the well-used and convenient Crichton Street Collection Office, something local residents and I campaigned against, as it means that if residents wish to collect undelivered mail in person at a Royal Mail collection centre, those living in the DD2 area are now covered by the Baird Avenue facility, which is nowhere near the West End and is not well-served by public transport.
At the time, I asked Royal Mail if it would allow West End DD2 residents to collect their items at the far more convenient Edward Street facility, but Royal Mail's position is (and remains) that this facility will deal with DD1 mail only.
I have continued to press Royal Mail to consider a minor concession. For a fee, residents can have mail redelivered to a local Post Office. For many DD2 residents, the Perth Road Post Office is an obvious centre given its convenient location in the Perth Road shopping area. However, by about 50 yards, the Perth Road Post Office is in DD1 and Royal Mail's official position is that it will not to redeliver DD2 mail there (despite the fact that DD2 starts almost across the road at Step Row). Equally, the Blackness Road Post Office would be a useful redelivery office for many DD2 residents, but again, by the skin of its teeth, it is situated in DD1 (nearby streeets like Abbotsford Place are in DD2).
At the time of the Crichton Street Collection Office closure, Royal Mail's then Scottish Affairs Manager agreed at a West End Community Council meeting to look into the viability of this concession, but Royal Mail has not officially introduced this.
As I continue to get regular complaints from residents about the ridiculously unhelpful approach on mail redeliveries on the part of Royal Mail, I wrote again recently to Royal Mail's Director of External Relations about a review of redirection facilities. She has now replied as follows:
I am sorry to hear that this matter continues to cause concern. However, we have no plans to change the current arrangements. I note your suggestion relating to alternative collection points.
As Perth Road Post Office is outside the DD2 delivery catchment area it is not operationally possible for customers from the DD2 delivery area to collect their items from Perth Road Post Office, which is in the DD1 delivery area.
Customers do not need to pick up parcels if they don’t want to. Royal Mail offers for items to be redelivered free to their address on a preferred day including Saturdays or to another address n the same post code area. Royal Mail also uses Delivery to Neighbour where the postman can leave customers items (excluding special delivery items) with a neighbour if this is feasible, unless customer wish to opt out of this service. Full details of the options are available on our website www.royalmail.com.
Customers in the DD2 postcode have the option of having their item redelivered, for a small fee, to the following Post Office branches for collection:
PO 29 Craigowan Road DD2 4NNPO Muirhead of Liff DD2 5QNPO 55 Main Street Invergowrie DD2 5BEPO Lochee Methven Street DD2 3DDPO 156 Lochee Road DD2 2LDPO Longforgan DD2 5EW
Leaving aside the sheer unhelpfulness of Royal Mail's position in not officially allowing DD2 mail to be redirected to convenient Post Offices like Blackness Road and Perth Road, it is rather ironic that the "alternatives" listed above include the Lochee Road Post Office that Post Office Limited closed back in 2008! Other Post Offices listed above - at Liff, Charleston and Longforgan - are clearly totally inconvenient for West End residents.
Royal Mail really does have to consider a more customer-friendly approach to mail redeliveries - the present situation is highly unsatisfactory and will inevitably continue to result in complaints from residents of the West End.