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Whilst most of us use the post less than in the past, it may just be worth remembering where there is a later postal collection locally, should we need it at any time.Latest Postal Collections in London SW20 and Surrounding Area

 

 

 
In 2007 the Post Office decided it needed to save money by designating London SW20 as ‘semi-rural’ and setting the last collection time for post boxes throughout the area at 16.00 as opposed to 17.30.  17.30 is generally the last collection time at boxes in most areas both in London and the suburbs.
 
The Raynes Park Association, (the umbrella group for local Residents Associations and Businesses) together with our MP, Stephen Hammond, challenged this decision.  Whilst we understood the Post Office’s financial difficulties and the fact that the volume of mail was reducing, we were unable to understand why SW20 had been singled out for this treatment.  If it was no longer possible to collect mail as late as 17.30, why were cuts not made regionally, and, at the same time, a selection made of a range of post boxes in significant sites where a late collection could be retained?  Needless to say, we were unable to reverse the Post Office’s decision, and we remain puzzled as to why we should be the unlucky ones.
 
However, within SW20 a last collection at 17.30 was retained at:
 
Raynes Park Post Office
310 Grand Drive – near the Beverley
350 Coombe Lane – near the old Post Office at the junction with the A3
 
After negotiation, we managed to get the Post Office to agree four additional 17.30 collections:
 
421 Kingston Road (Wimbledon Chase)
191 Worple Road (at the junction with Trewince Road)
*Grand Drive (at the junction with Meadow Close)
Cannon Hill Lane (at the junction with the Green).
 
*It is only recently that the Post Office got round to marking the later collection on the box on Grand Drive at the junction with Meadow Close, so people would not have been aware of this additional service.  There is now a temporary notice, and, they assure me, they will replace the plate to include this information. 
 
In terms of SW19, there are currently two 18.30 collections:
132 The Broadway
Merton High Street (opposite Sainsbury’s/Marks & Spencer)
 
The collection at 132 The Broadway is a relic of the time when the Post Office was situated there.  We’ve suggested it would make more sense having the later collection either (or both) at Ely’s (near the current Post Office) or outside the station.
 
We also expressed concern at the unhelpful information provided on letter-box plates.  They have made some improvements since we pointed this out to them.  We suggested it was unhelpful to direct people to a late collection at 19.30 at Nine Elms where it would probably be more useful to know that there is an 18.45 collection at Morden.  The most bizarre example relates to the post box in the Sainsbury’s/Marks & Spencer complex at Colliers Wood.  The box has a last collection at 16.00 and directs to you a later collection at Nine Elms at 19.30.  However, it fails to advise people that there is indeed an 18.30 collection just 200 yards away on the other side of the main road!
 
Chris Larkman
Chair, Raynes Park Association
(Updated December 2013)