Royal Mail has confirmed that it will install a new post box in Stoke after a year long campaign by the community, spearheaded by Luke Pollard MP.
Luke Pollard has promised he will continue to fight for Plymouth’s community facilities ‘big or small’, after Labour’s year-long campaign to restore the post box in Stoke Village forced a successful U-turn by the Royal Mail.
Royal Mail have confirmed to Plymouth City Council and local MP, Luke Pollard, that they have now accepted the case for reinstalling a post box in Stoke Village and plan to install a new post box within 14-16 weeks.
Luke and Stoke Ward councillors Jemima Laing, Sally Cresswell and Tom Briars-Delve have been putting pressure on Royal Mail to reinstall a post box and recently took the case to Plymouth City Council’s planning committee.
Luke had presented a petition to Parliament in July 2021 signed by hundreds of Stoke residents calling for the return of the post box. In response to the petition, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, added his support to the calls.
Details of the location for the new post box will be confirmed by Royal Mail shortly. After Royal Mail confirmed they will restore Stoke Village’s post box, retrospective planning permission was given for the illegal removal of the original post box by the Conservative-dominated Planning Committee.
Royal Mail intend to install a stand-alone post box on the street instead of a wall-mounted post box.
Luke Pollard said:
“Stoke village should never have lost its post box, and I’m delighted we now have written confirmation we are getting a new post box.
“It has taken a year of campaigning in Westminster and Plymouth, but that work has paid off. As a proud Janner I will never let our community be worse off and will fight to protect our community facilities big or small.
“This is a big win for teamwork, for stoke village and for the hundreds of people who have signed the petition calling for its return. We did it!”
Jemima Laing, Councillor for Stoke Ward, said:
“I am so pleased that this community facility is going to be reinstated. I know how much it means to people and businesses in Stoke Village. Luke, the councillors, the businesses and residents have all worked together on this to get to this point.
“I can’t wait to see the post box back in the village in the coming months.”
