Cllr Heather Kidd, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Chirbury and Worthen, has uncovered a major problem with postcodes in rural areas when trying to deal with a problem for an elderly resident.
“I was contacted by an elderly lady who lives alone in an isolated hamlet in my area. She shares a postcode with some other dwellings which may be geographically close but are actually 5 miles away by road! “Postal delivery is not the problem, postmen know the score. It’s what happens in the case of emergency that is troubling this lady. Emergency services use SATNAVS and they are based on postcodes! Having had a look at the map and the postcodes in my ward I find this is not an isolated problem and I guess much the same occurs across rural Shropshire. I have tried to get this postcode altered and that’s where the problems started!”
Heather continued “I contacted:
Shropshire Council: who told her it was a post office issue.
The Royal Mail: Who said that the lady had to apply in writing or via e-mail but told her that the real issue was getting the postcodes changed with the body who provide SATNAV data. So I should contact Ordinance Survey.
Ordinance Survey: They told me it was nothing to do with them but gave me the phone numbers of two commercial companies who provide the data for SATNAVS
SATNAV company no 1. (in the Netherlands) refused to answer the phone.
SATNAV company No2: : said that the pensioner would have to apply via their Internet site!
This really is over the top” said Heather “It should be a simple matter for people to amend their postcodes in circumstances like this. It might be a simple thing but sooner or later an ambulance or fire engine will be directed to the wrong place and lives will be lost. I urge everyone with this problem to write to the post office. In the meantime I will be writing to the responsible minister to ask for this whole process to be streamlined. “