Proposals revealed today by the Royal Mail to consider closing three delivery offices in the district will undoubtedly result in increased inconvenience for many customers if they are eventually agreed.

More and more people are using online delivery services to buy products like books, CDs, games, clothes and many other items. Later parcel deliveries already mean many people are rarely in when deliveries arrive and have to pick up their parcels from the nearest delivery office.

The new proposals suggest shutting those offices in Bingley, Shipley and Bradford West, with undelivered mail from those sites going the Bradford North Delivery Office in Inkersley Road. That would massively inconvenience many, particularly those who currently use Bingley.

Royal Mail says it has to make wholesale changes in the face of declining volumes of mail and increasingly tough competition from other providers. However, some might argue that creating this sort of issue for your customers is not the best way to engender consumer loyalty and protect your brand.

What is reassuring is that the unions believe the proposals will not mean the loss of any jobs, and could, in fact, lead to job creation, which, if it did prove to be the case, would obviously be extremely welcome. But it is to be hoped that a solution could be found that would allow the Royal Mail to modernise its operation while keeping some sort of presence in the areas which are under threat.

Otherwise it will mean that customers are ultimately facing cuts to the service offered to them which, despite the increased competition the Royal Mail faces in some areas, most have no alternative to turn to.

And those having to make the long journey from Bingley to the Bradford North office will certainly feel they are getting anything but a first class delivery service.