POSTAL sorting staff joined councillors to hear the borough back calls for the sorting office to stay near the town centre.

The Royal Mail is conducting a review into the future of the sorting office in Commercial Road.

There are 230 sorting staff whose jobs could be under threat if it is closed and the work moved to Chelmsford or Norwich – and up to 500 use the site when delivery staff are included in the total. Borough council leader David Ellesmere proposed a motion at a council meeting calling on Royal Mail to abandon any thought of closing the centre.

He said the jobs were vital for the town – and if it closed there would be nowhere central for people to collect parcels or registered letters.

Opposition leader John Carnall proposed an amendment calling for the office to be developed. He said Ipswich was more centrally based for the region than either Norwich or Chelmsford.

After a short negotiation, most of the amendment was accepted by the administration and a joint motion was passed unanimously.

A delegation from the borough – which owns the sorting office building – is due to meet Royal Mail officials in the next few weeks to discuss the future of the Ipswich office.