Councillors in Dundee have unanimously agreed to oppose Royal Mail’s plans to close its city centre parcel office.
They are to demand that the Crichton Street office stays open pending further discussions and they are to write to the UK Government to raise their concerns.
Royal Mail recently announced that the office which it rents was no longer fit for purpose and from August 29 it wants customers to pick up parcels from the Dundee central and Dundee west delivery offices instead.
Liberal Democrat group leader Fraser Macpherson told councillors on Monday night that he understood Royal Mail operated in a commercial environment but he argued it would not be in its own long-term interest to make customers go through such a “convoluted” process to collect undelivered mail.
Labour councillor Richard McCready said: “Royal Mail should provide facilities that are accessible for its customers. That is precisely not what it has done here.”
City centre traders have also voiced their concerns, councillors heard. The action group DD One has written a letter saying the situation should be “urgently revisited” by Royal Mail.
Mr Macpherson and leader of the SNP administration Ken Guild proposed motions on the way forward. They agreed these should be joined. Councillors then gave their backing to a statement that the closure “will have a detrimental impact on customers, particularly those who rely on public transport” to visit Royal Mail offices.
Council chief executive David Dorward will write to Royal Mail asking for a meeting with its director of Scottish affairs and urging the postponement of the closure until talks have taken place. He will also write to Business Secretary Vince Cable and Postal Affairs Minister Edward Davey to protest about “the lack of an adequate consultation process.”