Royal Mail admit there are issues with post delivery in Peterborough - as residents say they want letters not words

Residents have been complaining for weeks about the lack of deliveries in Peterborough, often waiting weeks for important post to arrive – meaning missed medical appointments and birthday cards arriving late.

Royal Mail had previously said there were no major issues in the city – but after being pressed by The Peterborough Telegraph, now they have finally admitted there have been issues this month – and that they are expecting to see improvements in services in the coming days.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We know how important reliable deliveries are for customers and we’re pleased to see clear improvements in performance in recent days. Additional support is in place and service levels continue to stabilise as we work to restore normal service as quickly as possible.”

MP says situation is ‘frustrating’

North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling said: “It’s frustrating to see Royal Mail say delivery performance has stabilised when many people in the south of Peterborough are still experiencing late or missing post. Residents are telling me they’re having to go to the Southgate delivery office to collect letters in person, with mail being sorted by hand - that’s not what a reliable service looks like.

“Royal Mail has acknowledged operational problems at Orton Southgate, including staff shortages and higher-than-expected volumes, and says additional support is now in place. But what matters most is whether that translates into post arriving on time - and for too many local people, it still isn’t.

“Late or missing deliveries aren’t a minor inconvenience. They affect bills, health appointments, benefits and so much more. When disruption continues week after week, people deserve clear communication and a proper plan to put things right - not reassurance that doesn’t match their experience.

“Just this week, I raised these concerns directly with a Government minister, and I’ll keep pushing to make sure local experiences are taken seriously and that we see consistent, reliable deliveries restored in Orton and the surrounding area.”

Call for apology from Royal Mail

Orton Waterville ward councillor Julie Stevenson called on Royal Mail to apologise to residents for the problems they have had.

She said: “I continue to get a lot of feedback from residents about this. A mix of fury and distress. Several residents have told me their posties are all saying the same thing: that Royal Mail has instructed them in no uncertain terms to prioritise small tracked parcels over letter mail.

"And this certainly appears to be the case, with some residents still awaiting Christmas cards and others saying that medical or legal letters are arriving just in time or too late to action.”

One reader said he had posted one item in Peterborough on January 17 – and it had taken nine days to arrive at an address in Peterborough.

The Peterborough Telegraph has heard of one resident who received mail this week that was dated December 9.

What caused the problems

The spokesperson said that over recent weeks Royal Mail has faced some operational challenges at the Orton Southgate delivery office, which have primarily affected parts of the PE2 postcode, with some impact in PE7 and PE9.

The spokesperson said that the office was clear of mail on Christmas Eve and throughout December, with low sickness levels.

However, in early January sickness absence increased sharply at the same time as letter volumes remained higher than expected for that time of year, including several large national mailings.

This, alongside existing vacancies and continued strong parcel volumes, meant some delivery routes had to operate on a rotational basis, with letters typically delivered every other day.

The spokesperson said that they have since put additional support in place from neighbouring offices and senior operational teams.

They said that this has driven a marked improvement in performance over the past week, with significantly more routes now being delivered in full and far fewer operating on a rotational basis.

They said the situation has stabilised and continues to improve, supported by further recruitment and ongoing operational changes to build resilience.

The spokesperson added that they were confident the situation is moving in the right direction. Performance has stabilised and continues to improve, with further progress expected over the coming days as they work to restore full normal service.