Two very different issues have been brought to my attention by local residents in recent weeks, but they surprisingly have something in common - people should be able to rely on the services and systems they use.
Residents in and around Upper Clatford have again been reporting problems with Evri parcels being delayed, going missing, or arriving at the wrong address.
I have also heard concerns about delivery practices, including allegations of parcels being thrown from vehicles and speeding delivery vans.
It is deeply disappointing to hear of renewed problems after the widespread disruption across my constituency in the run-up to Christmas last year.
I am grateful to Cllr Hasselmann for the diligence she has shown in supporting affected residents, and to everyone who has shared their experiences and tracking numbers with her.
In response to one resident’s repeated difficulties, Evri acknowledged several causes of delay, including parcels going to the wrong depot, delays at its Southampton depot, and deliveries to the wrong location.
The company also said it has been reducing its reliance on third-party contractors on the outskirts of Andover and Romsey because of inconsistent delivery quality, replacing them with permanent couriers.
That acknowledgement is welcome, but residents need to see an improvement in practice.
I will continue to make the case to Evri that they must take steps to resolve these persistent issues.
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I have also heard from local farmers who were unable to access support through the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026, where the latest application window was open for less than six hours, and some farmers spent hours trying to apply through the Rural Payments Agency system, only to encounter repeated error messages and crashes.
Others were working on their farms and found the window had closed by the time they could get online.
I have written to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs asking for an urgent review of applications that were started but could not be submitted because of technical or administrative failures.
I have also asked whether the scheme can be reopened so that more farmers have a fair opportunity to access support.
“No farmers, no food” is a statement of fact: our farmers produce the food we rely on while carrying out important environmental work, and they deserve a funding system that works when they need it.
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