Lynne Featherstone MP, Cllr Richard Wilson and Cllr David Schmitz outside Hornsey Sorting Office with petition slips.

Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone today welcomed Royal Mail’s decision to continue to allow Highgate residents to pick up their parcels for free at the Archway Road Post Office, in response to months of campaigning by the local Liberal Democrats.

The Royal Mail representatives, who met with the MP this morning, also confirmed that the Hornsey sorting office has been reprieved. Whilst Royal Mail still plans to relocate the sorting office, residents will be able to pick up their undelivered parcels for at least 6 months, and in the meantime an alternative location in N8 for a collection point will be sought.

Royal Mail had planned to close Hornsey sorting office, stop the free collection service at Archway Road, and move the undelivered parcel collection points to Holloway and Tufnell Park. The move would have forced local residents to travel miles to collect their undelivered parcels, if they didn’t wish to leave parcels with a neighbour, or pay to have them redelivered.

Over 3000 people signed the Liberal Democrat petitions to save services in Hornsey, Highgate and Harringay Green Lanes.

The news has been very well received by the Hornsey and Wood Green MP and the Haringey Liberal Democrats, who have been fiercely campaigning to keep free, local collection points since Royal Mail announced their reorganisation in September last year.

Highgate Liberal Democrat Councillor Rachel Allison said:

“I am so pleased that Royal Mail has seen sense, and is retaining the free collection point at Archway Road Post Office.

“Over 500 Highgate residents signed the petition and I’m glad that their views have been listened to by Royal Mail.”

Haringey Liberal Democrat Leader, Cllr Richard Wilson said:

“I am delighted that the threat to close Hornsey Sorting Office next month has been withdrawn, and that Royal Mail will now look for a new local collection point in Hornsey.

“We will carry on campaigning to secure a collection point around the Finsbury Park and Green Lanes area after the office there closed on the 28^th January.”

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“From day one, we were adamant that no service should be lost without an equal or better local replacement.

“The news today is very encouraging. We have taken a huge step towards saving vital local services – and it’s all thanks to the residents who took part in our campaign and signed the Lib Dem petition.

“The combination of Lib Dems and people power has once again had a positive effect in Haringey, and we will continue to fight on!”