LTB 606/20 – Romford Mail Centre – Property Update
No: 606/20
21st December 2020
For the Immediate Attention of All:
Postal Branches
Divisional Representatives
Territorial Engineering Representatives
Fleet Representatives
Area Processing Representative – Romford MC
Area Distribution Representative – Romford MC
Area Delivery Representatives – Romford MC
Area Distribution Representatives – East London
Area Delivery Representatives – East London
CWU Members – Romford MC (via Website)
Dear Colleagues
Romford Mail Centre – Property Update
Further to the contents of LTB’s 370/19, 715/19 and 317/20, Branches will be aware that the lease on the Romford Mail Centre site was previously extended until March 2023 as the final tenancy arrangement, with the site reverting to the landlord from that date.
Discussions have been taking place in line with the Refining the Processing Footprint Agreement on potential options in regard to the future of the Romford Mail Centre operations since the announcement in relation to the lease extension was made. This has included, in line with Section 7.6 of the agreed process, the CWU presenting a comprehensive proposal for an alternative site in Barking to accommodate the Mail Centre operation following the closure of the current site. These groundbreaking proposals, which were worked up by the CWU Cross Functional Working Group, were presented in late October 2020 and have been the subject of ongoing discussions with the business.
In the past two weeks however Royal Mail informed the CWU that the Landlord of the Romford site had reconsidered his position and had indicated that he was willing to consider a longer extension to the current lease. We are therefore delighted to report that the business has today confirmed that the commercial discussions between Royal Mail and the Landlord have culminated in a new lease extension being agreed, which will safeguard the future of Romford Mail Centre on its existing site until March 2031.
Our members in Romford have gone through 18 months of uncertainty and we hope that today’s announcement will be a significant boost to morale and provide certainty and security over their future.
All current functions based at the site will continue to operate out of Romford Mail Centre and discussions will recommence in the New Year in relation to improvements that can be made at the site now that the future has been secured.
We would like to place on record our thanks to the CWU Working Group led by the Anglia Divisional Representatives for their considerable efforts and dedication in representing the interests of our members at Romford throughout the consultation period.
Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to:
Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference : 727.03,
Mark Baulch, Assistant Secretary: Outdoor Department, email: outdoorsecretary@cwu.org quoting reference number: 230.03.
Carl Maden, Acting Assistant Secretary; PTCS Department, email: khay@cwu.org quoting reference number 041.
Yours sincerely
Davie Robertson – Assistant Secretary
Mark Baulch – Assistant Secretary
Carl Maden – Acting Assistant Secretary