Closed petition Require new dwellings to have postman-friendly letter boxes

Closed on 26 April 2013

Irish building regulations have since 2001 required that the letter boxes on the front doors of all new dwellings are positioned at a reasonable height. The EU recommends between 700mm and 1700mm above the ground. There is no such requirement in UK Building Regulations.

As a result a thoughtless and inconsiderate minority of architects and builders in the UK choose to fit, for no good reason, ground-level letter boxes in front doors of new dwellings. This condemns postal deliverers, who do a valuable and physically demanding job, to stooping down to ground level every day of the year. Even for fully glazed doors there are simple alternatives, such as a vertical letter box above the door handle.

An amendment to Building Regulations, as in Ireland, would eliminate the selfish practice of ground-level letter boxes. It would cost nothing, and would be a small but very practical gesture of public appreciation for the work of postal deliverers.