Sorting Office and Wickford in general

From: A Wickford Resident (who doesn't want to be named)
Date: 17 October 2008

Comments

**from the previous post**
We've had a number of comments from residents about this, and what worries most is the loss of the Sorting Office. Many Wickford people commute to London, and often arrive home to find a note that a parcel wasn't delivered, and to collect it at the Sorting Office. If this is re-located outside the town centre, it will be a great inconvenience.**

The SORTING OFFICE closes at 1pm? latest during the week, when us residents are at work anyway.

Royal Mail has land over at Shotgate but do not want to move over there.

In all fairness, Wickford is a dump, it has been for years, look at the High Street at the moment, everything is closing down, Woolwich has been shut down for how long now? 2 years? Woolworths will be closing down in the next year, I'm sure W.H. Smith will follow, Somerfield is going, albeit being replaced by the Co-Op but for how long?

I came through there today and it's a complete mess, Wickford is fast becoming hair salons and nail bars. It would be better to blow the town up and start again, that's what is really needed.

The Broadway and Lower Southend Road is in desperate need of a re-vamp, it's like the town that time forgot.

I know that you will probably not print these comments but I will make them available to the Echo as well..

I think many people would agree that Wickford has been let go by the people responsible for planning, and yes there are too many nail bars, junk shops etc. We agree with many of your points, but where we differ is on the matter of scale. Do you really think that 700+ flats in the town centre in 5, 6 and 7 storey blocks is a price worth paying - look at the eyesore that's just sprung up along the bypass, is that the town we want? And now with Barn Hall falling under the developer's hammer, what peace will there be in the town?

On the brighter side, some of the Estate Agents seem to be downsizing.

(John Rushton - Wickford Action Group)