Camden News - by DAN CARRIER Published: 1 May 2008
Royal Mail staff raise fears over property sell-off rumour
RUMOURS that the Royal Mail’s Hampstead sorting office is up for sale have led to fears among staff that services will suffer. The Royal Mail moved quickly yesterday (Wednesday) to quash worries that the site, which houses 100 delivery and sorting office staff, was on the market. A Royal Mail spokesman told the New Journal that the company constantly reviewed their property portfolio and a potential freeze on sales – as called for by unions – was not on the cards, but bids were not being considered for the Hampstead branch.
But with the large Mount Pleasant office being sold in the south of the borough, there are fears the Shepherds Walk office, on a site that is potentially worth millions, could be next.
Communication Workers Union shop steward Tony Davies said staff occasionally heard rumours within the organisation regarding the future of the site, but that managers had not spoken about any sale.
He said: “If it were up for sale, we would strongly object. “Customers would not like to pick up post elsewhere and it would be hard to start Hampstead rounds from another site. “There is nowhere else in Hampstead for a sorting office and if they were to move us to Regis Road in Kentish Town, it would be a disaster. “It would mean massive delays in deliveries and would be a logistical nightmare.”
A Royal Mail spokesman said there were no plans at this time to sell off the office, but added they continuously reviewed land and buildings they owned.