Mail bosses halt plan to axe depot

They had launched a review into the future of the delivery office in Knaresborough which would see services relocated to Harrogate amid claims of declining mail volumes.

Now bosses have announced they intend to retain the office at its current site in Stockwell Road for the foreseeable future.

Steve McGuinness, Royal Mail delivery director, said: “After careful consideration of the key areas involved, a full assessment has been made and we have decided that a merger of the two delivery offices will not progress at the moment. Our people and unions have been told of this decision.

“Faced with declining mail volumes and increasingly tough trading conditions, Royal Mail must constantly review the efficiency of our operations.”

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, had raised concerns the closure could lead to job losses and a poorer service for customers.

The decision comes in the wake of the move to axe the sorting office in York which closed its doors in February, with operations now centralised in Leeds.