Concerns raised about postal service on new estate

Residents claim the nearest postboxes are too far away and deliveries often face long delays

People living on a new housing estate have voiced concerns about inadequate postal services.

Residents of Bidwell West in Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire have reported regularly missing mail deliveries and lengthy walks to send letters due to a lack of postboxes.

Alex Mayer, Labour MP for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard, has described the area's postal service as "second class".

Royal Mail said residents who needed to post a letter and were unable to visit their nearest postboxes could give stamped letters to its delivery staff instead.

The nearest postbox involves a round trip of between 30 to 40 minutes on foot

Local resident and campaigner Tim Haines said some neighbours had waited over a month for post to arrive.

"That's often led to some residents not getting invitations to hospital appointments. It's very unreliable," he said.

Locals wanting to post a letter faced a round trip of between 30 to 40 minutes on foot to reach postboxes in nearby Bedford Road and Bidwell Hill.

Mr Haines added: "A postbox may seem minor, but it highlights a bigger issue - new developments often lack basic infrastructure. We need to build communities, not just houses."

Tim Haines said some residents had missed invitations for hospital appointments

Mayer has joined the call for a postbox in the area and urged Royal Mail to address the issue.

The MP has previously mentioned in Parliament how new housing developments were being overlooked when it comes to basic amenities such as postboxes.

"Some new developments simply do not have them," she said during a recent debate.

"The law states that residents should be within 500 metres of a postbox, but that is simply not happening. After all, letters are vital for a thriving postal service."

Resident Amy Garrod has missed engagement cards due to postal issues

Resident Amy Garrod said she had missed some important post: "I got engaged at Christmas and we've had families say they've sent us cards we never received, which is obviously a shame."

Royal Mail has not given any indication as to whether it plans to address the lack of postal services in Bidwell West.

Its guidelines say that 98% of all households across the UK should be within half a mile (0.8km) of a postbox.

"Should any residents need to post a letter and are unable to visit their nearest postboxes on Bedford Road and Bidwell Hill, they can hand stamped letters to our postmen and women when they are delivering the post," a Royal Mail spokesperson said.

They added: "The local delivery office in Dunstable is experiencing issues with resourcing due to a number of vacancies.

"Recruitment is under way to fill these positions, and our posties are working hard to ensure delays are kept to a minimum and post is delivered at least every other day. We thank customers for their patience in the meantime."