Residents of one of Britain’s most affluent towns,are up in arms over a “smelly” cesspit in front of the Royal Mail sorting office.
The issue in Chipping Campden, the Cotswolds, has been ongoing for over 18 months and sees the pit continuously leaking onto the busy public highway.
Despite acknowledging the situation, Royal Mail is yet to rectify it.
Cotswold District councillor, Tom Stowe, expressed his frustration saying: “It’s an absolute disgrace that a company the size of Royal Mail has totally shirked it’s corporate and environmental responsibilities, causing a stink and discharging effluent into the local environment.”
He added: “Royal Mail it’s time to sort your out. I have been aware of this issue for around 18 months now.”
The nature of the waste is unknown, but it’s a cause for concern, especially as it dries up and smells during the summer, and washes away onto the highway in winter.
Despite attempts by the town council to address the issue, it remains unresolved. The matter has since been escalated to the Environment and Regulatory services team, who contacted Royal Mail management.
They claimed to be aware of the issue and stated that the tank was due to be drained and repaired. However, eight weeks on, the problem persists.
Mr Stowe didn’t hold back his criticism, saying: “It’s a disgrace, they are ignoring their environmental responsibility.”
He revealed his persistence at local meetings: “I go to town council meetings every month and at every one, residents ask for updates about the cesspit.”
He added that the sorting centre staff share his frustration: “The staff at the sorting centre are very cooperative and they are also frustrated with the lack of action.”
He suggested a bias against small businesses: “If this was a smaller, locally owned business it would have been resolved straight away.”
In response, a Royal Mail spokesperson stated: “This is an ongoing matter and one that we are committed to resolving.”
They provided details on the issue: “Currently, it is unconfirmed whether the leak originates from the tank itself or if there is an issue outside the boundary of the premises.”
And assured further action: “The matter has been escalated and we will be carrying out further maintenance.”
