On Saturday I met a crowd of unhappy residents from Sunnyhill Lane (just north of Pewsey), to discuss the positioning of their local postbox.
Previously situated on the east side of the road, at the end of their lane, this postbox was moved across the road after it was knocked over. This now means that every time residents from Sunnyhill Lane – many of those who live in the Hillview park homes estate and are elderly- want to post a letter they have to take their life in their hands to safely cross the A345 and then try to mount the inaccessible verge.
Last year, having been contacted by another concerned constituent, I wrote to Wiltshire Council about the possibility of reducing the speed from 50 mph to 40 mph along this particular stretch of road. I was told, despite the various junctions and accesses, it did not meet the necessary criteria to make any changes. The rationale of setting speed limits aside, there is no question, the fast traffic travelling this road poses a threat to those trying to cross it – and I know because I watched an old man try to do it.
In October, I contacted Royal Mail about this issue after residents of Sunnyhill Lane had exhausted the Royal Mail complaints process and the Parish Council too had met a brick wall with it. They replied saying the current/new location is now considered the safest place for the postbox, owing to it being positioned by a layby which facilitates both passing cars and the postman when emptying it.
All things considered, I have written again to Royal Mail, to ascertain whether something else might be done to help those worried by the postbox’s new position, if moving it back to its original place is not an option.
