CHANGE OF ADDRESS FOR MILITARY POSTIES

29 Mar 2006 03:15 PM

The best military post office in the world is about to get even better says British Forces Post Office (BFPO) Chief Executive Brigadier Peter Maggs.

Approval has now been given to move the BFPO from Mill Hill in North London to new facilities at RAF Northolt. As part of the move, essential equipment to sort the thousands of letters, packets and parcels that flow through the system each day will be purchased or improved.

"Once the move is complete we will be able to offer a better service to MOD personnel around the world at better value for money for taxpayers," said Brigadier Maggs.

MOD has now appointed Bovis Lend Lease as the Preferred Bidder to construct new buildings and equip it with the latest mail handling equipment.

Subject to ongoing planning approval, work will begin to construct dedicated new buildings later this year, with completion due mid-2007. The BFPO will then test the system fully before transferring operations later that year.

Notes to Editors
1. The British Forces Post Office (BFPO) became a Defence Agency in 1999, but can trace it origins back to the Royal Post in 1461 when the First Post system between the King and his Armies was set up. In 1962 MoD centralised its mail distribution systems at Mill Hill in North London, where the BFPO's present headquarters is located. Today the service is more popular than ever with over 4 Million Kgs of mail being handled every 12 months.

2. 387 staff currently work at Mill Hill. BFPO managers will shortly begin consultation on staff transfer to the new site, but because of the distance travelled not all existing staff are expected to want to move. For those staff the BFPO will work with local agencies to help find training and new positions.

3. The relocation of the BFPO facility to RAF Northolt is being delivered by Defence Estates. Defence Estates is an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Defence with responsibilities for managing the defence estate as a corporate asset on behalf of the MOD, and for the delivery of estate maintenance, works and services.

4. RAF Northolt is to be developed as a 'core' site as part of the MOD's wider Greater London estate consolidation project known as MOD Estates London, (MoDEL.) Project MoDEL is a key Defence Estate's project in delivering MoD's strategic aim of developing an estate within Greater London that has sufficient size and quality to support the long-term military and operational requirements of its customers. The aim is to consolidate the facilities occupied by MoD onto fit-for-purpose 'core' sites thereby generating a number of benefits in terms of reducing running costs, improving efficiency, consolidating resources and improving the quality of life for all servicemen and women who live and work on the site.

5. The Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO), a key element of the UK Ministry of Defence, is responsible for supporting the Armed Forces throughout the various stages of an operation or exercise; from training, deployment, in-theatre training and conduct of operations, through to recovery and recuperation ready for redeployment. Led by the Chief of Defence Logistics, currently a 4* Army General, the DLO maintains and upgrades military equipment and coordinates its storage and distribution. It has an annual spend of almost £9bn, representing over 20 per cent of the Defence budget. The DLO employs around 20,000 staff at 80 locations throughout the UK and overseas, and has its headquarters in Bath, England.

Issued by DLO Press Office.