Royal Mail bosses want taller fencing outside two doors to their Brighton delivery office to deter drug addicts and vandals.
People have left unwelcome items on their doorstep including drugs, needles and faeces, with grafitti also daubed at the site.
A planning application said that it wanted to put up 6ft (1.8m) fencing with secure gates to replace the existing 3ft fences in North Road.
The company said: “The delivery office is currently experiencing a high level of trespass, property damage and other anti-social activities in these locations.
“The proposal is to assist Royal Mail with keeping fire escape routes and building access routes clean, clear and free from obstruction and to also deter the other activities.”
In its planning application, Royal Mail also said: “The delivery office currently has an existing fence line which is not secure to keep anti-social behaviour from occurring on the property.
“Royal Mail have continually experienced damage, graffiti and anti-social behaviour.
“Unfortunately, there is a history of anti-social behaviour in this area and Royal Mail have had to continually spend time and money repairing deliberate acts of vandalism.
“There have been several incidents where human faeces, drug paraphernalia and other hazardous materials have been sprawled across the access and egress routes of the delivery office.
“Additionally, during the recent summer of 2024 a four-person tent was erected on the doorstep of the building outside a main fire exit route where over 100 people could use at any one time in the event of an evacuation incident.
“The proposed new fencing will enable Royal Mail to keep their fire exits safe, clean, clear and free from unfortunate spoils which are currently being experienced.
“The access control will be linked to the buildings existing access control which is interlinked to the fire alarm so, in the event of an alarm, the gates will release allowing safe egress.
“These works will not cause any major disruption to the delivery office staff or general public who use this building.
“Installing taller fences and access control gates will allow Royal Mail to keep their property safe, maintain a clean and clear property which the public can use and uphold the Royal Mail’s reputation which is being damaged due to the continued and unacceptable anti-social behaviour experienced to the site.”
The Royal Mail added: “The existing fencing is 900mm tall and is not suitable for keeping trespassers off Royal Mail property.
“Royal Mail regularly experience people entering and/or climbing over the fencing to sit and consume alcohol and drugs on their doorstep.
“The new fence will be replaced with a taller 1800mm fence and secure access gates to match the existing style in order to provide Royal Mail with a secure site boundary.”
The planning application was validated by Brighton and Hove City Council on Friday (6 December) and is subject to a consultation that is due to end on Friday 27 December.
To view the application or comment, visit the planning portal on the council website and search for BH2024/02897.
Whilst we understand why Royal Mail wish to fence off their forecourt, these railings will also fence off the external post box. It is possible to post things in the office but it has restricted hours and closes at 6 in the evening. Last collection from this box is at 7. Local businesses in particular use this box to catch the last post.
We see no reason why a box should not be provided facing onto the pavement, perhaps set in the new railings.
Perhaps raise that directly with the Royal Mail and / or make a comment on the planning application about this.
Anyone tried calling the police?
Don’t be silly, they’re far too busy with paperwork.
And too busy arresting people who write nasty, hurty words on websites about the Transgender
This is a problem all over Brighton, there were 5 needles round the back of B&Q (the old poundland site) the other day, , picked them up carefully and got rid of them. Not a good look for locals and tourists to see, st James Street the same, even seen needles in Morrisons care park, and the park opposite the old job centre is a hot spot, if you must do drugs then please get rid of your needles in the right way. Think of other people. Some carry a small shape bin around for this,
The drugs, capital of the south. What a shame the council and police do nothing to stop it.
It’s the City of Sanctuary!
Watch the hostel dwellers and the homeless at Brighton rail station on a Friday and Saturday evening. Watching and waiting for the drug dealers to come in by train, then to rob them, more violents on Brightons streets,
They should have a resident police officer across the road in William collier,you can clearly see there’s people trying to sort themselves out and no good gobshites trying to drag them down again, it doesn’t help having two off licences on the say road,what do you reckon Brighton and hove council?.
Why should Hove still be associated with the disgusting dump that is Brighton? What benefit does Hove get? None.
I think that highlights how little you actually know to hold that opinion.
Hove was better before the merger.
Did the knock down some sort of wall before the merger?.
Hove has no industry so it’s totally subsidised by Brighton which has the big tax take. Hove is the little sister being looked after by Brightons money . Be grateful. Of course Hove has some pretty grim parts too and it’s a bit up it’s own rear end with crummy Teslas and mostly late middle spinster women from up north.
Brighton centre has got worse and worse. The council are totally unable to do anything about it. Or they simply don’t care.
Centre of town is a sewer tbh. Time someone cleared the city centre of junkies and other ne’er do wells. There needs to be real help for these people but they can’t be allowed to behave like they do in public affecting everyone else’s quality of life.
I’m in support of tougher sanctions on antisocial behaviours. Whilst I understand the awful situation they are in, it is not an excuse for those behaviours.
Our City is ruined with all the Drug Takers, Drug Dealers, Graffiti, Homelessness, Beggers on the Streets
It’s all done in the Open, nothing is hidden-no wonder Families are moving out of the Area so School Rates are low and Schools are Closing.
You have Streetlink, who actually go around The City to give those on the Streets advice & help.
But also it’s Landlords who hike up the rent so some are made Homeless through no fault of their own-all are different.
In this Weather now we having those that are on The Streets that have Dogs on the Street-H&M have the man with the Bulldog, some Guy down by the Soho Private Club-who is in a Sleeping Bag who wouldn’t let him in the Bag in that Freezing Wind we had with Storm Darragh-that’s wrong they could of Frozen to death out there-But where is there for these folks to go at this time of Year all Year round, is it just Hostels-are they open all day
What landlords ? – most are selling/leaving. The biggest landlord is the Council I expect. The Council is now struggling to rent properties from the private sector, by its own admission. They are being taxed/regulated out of existence, by governments past and present, and the council
Sorry that’s what I meant, Council are struggling to get find Landlords etc.
I live in this area. Sussex Police, Brighton and Hove City Council and the YMCA, who manage William Collier House, have given up and gone home leaving behind a community that is less safe and struggling to deal with a significant increase in people dealing and using drugs outside our homes, people screaming and shouting outside the hostel at all hours of the day, street fights, drug paraphernalia left on our doorsteps and abuse and threats from those perpetrators when challenged. I believe the Post Office is just responding to a problem created by the services mentioned above and have very right to do so.
To be fair, even the homeless don’t want to go to William Collier house, such a reputation it has.
It will all be ok when the Post Office goes to Patcham.
What you’ll find is this a global situation, not just a Brighton one and guess what, lots of people do drugs in their home and everywhere else in the land and it effects nobody but themselves. The drug war failed as soon as it began and it’s about time we come to terms with that and fix the actual problems with society; primarily, escalating poverty levels and massive inequality, otherwise things will just get worse no matter how many hateful comments you write online.
Don’t worry. Post Office are soon moving up to Patcham. Be a nice new block of flats here instead.
I used to live un william collier, would I buggery now. 2019 the staff were excellent and although it was still a bit lively it was nothing like it is now. I still have a friend living there and have seen the absolute disgrace it’s become. Run down to hell with absolutely no basic maintenance being done regularly, seriously understaffed with serious staff retention problems, and the little staff they have most are seriously under qualified, under trained and mostly indifferent. They had a mass staff walk out over a bed bug infestation making the staff situation worse and are still trying to replace some staff nearly two years later and that’s on top of the already existing staff issue. When lock down happened it was absolutely a breach of every human and civil right that we have what happened there and I am telling you it was draconian. They implemented every government suggestion, emergency rule and hse corporate liability fear induced policy without any thought to how it would affect those essentially now prisoner to them. For those who don’t know there are two rooms and a shared kitchen and toilet in each unit over 4 floors for a total of 96 people basically warehoused here who technically not even permitted to socialise with their unit neighbour let alone anyone else. At the same time staff fears, safety and well-being took priority over the very vulnerable, and some very awful people whose statutory rights by both council and especially ymca, were such an after thought that only the threat of legal action LAST year restored even the most fundamental human and basic British law for 1000 yrs, right of a family or private life and some attempt to teach staff of these rights. Unfortunately those taught have mostly left and the situation is pretty much SNAFU again. This isn’t any other than a massive balls up by the ymca and no accountability from the council. Brightonians need to make it clear, this council is beyond a joke and at the very least we demand you do the very basics….. we now see the knock on effect of namby pamby idiocy that have had power in all councils in Brighton for at least the last ten years. Brighton and Hove news should investigate this and report. Please 🙏 before it gets worse
You’re right of course Kain. Why should residents have to put up with substandard accomodation in a Supported Housing service that is poorly managed and understaffed. Why should the local community have to suffer the consequences of the total mismanagement of this 96 bed Hostel. Why are senior management at the YMCA and the Council’s Supported Housing Team failing so badly ?