Hitchin residents are no longer able to collect parcels from a Post Office in their own town.
From May 2, they have had to travel to Stevenage if they want to collect a parcel that they were not in to receive.
Royal Mail now automatically attempts redelivery of missed parcels on the following working day, after which the public can rearrange delivery online, or select a Post Office branch to collect their parcel from.
However, if they don't choose any of these options, the parcel will be returned a local 'Customer Service Point' for collection.
Since 2012, the local Customer Service Point in Hitchin has been at Hitchin Post Office, in Brookers in Bucklersbury.
But on May 2, that was changed to Royal Mail's delivery office in London Road, Stevenage, where parcels will be unavailable for collection until two days after the first unsuccessful delivery attempt.
Andrew Brooker, subpostmaster and managing director of Hitchin Post Office has protested against the changes to Post Office Ltd (POL), the National Federation of SubPostmasters (NFSP), and Bim Afolami MP.
His post office averaged 2,236 parcel collections per month in 2022/23, and eight per cent of his income comes from them.
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Andrew says that the decision "has the potential to further affect the viability of our Post Office branch and retail store".
He was only told about the changes in a circular from POL on April 27, leaving him with no time to renegotiate employment contracts for staff who are employed specifically to handle parcels.
Andrew described the decision as "short-sighted", and said: "I have protested this decision to POL and I have referred the matter to the NFSP, neither can help me as this is apparently an internal RM 'operational decision'.
"The good people of Hitchin surely deserve better than this.
"We are a business at the heart of and committed to serving the local community, since 1876, which is the main reason we undertook the parcel collection service in the first place upon the closure of the Royal Mail Sorting Office in Port Mill Lane in 2012.
"If Royal Mail is trying to drive parcel customers away to other service providers then they’ve nailed it.
"Making people drive over 12 miles from Hitchin to Stevenage and back to collect parcels is not a good decision for the people of Hitchin and demonstrates how little regard RM has for the general public, and how little appreciation for the 10 years we have been providing this service to the people of Hitchin - all for £0.335 per parcel!"
Andrew says that neither RM nor POL have any plans to compensate him for the loss of business and the lack of notice.
A POL circular said that some Post Office branches would remain open as collection points "where for geographical reasons the Customer Service Point is not suitable.” Andrew wants his branch to be among those granted this exemption.
In his letter to Bim Afolami, Andrew wrote: "If you have any influence in this matter, please bring it to bear to get this decision reversed, for the people of Hitchin."
Mr Afolami told us that he will do "everything I can to help my constituent on this issue."
He said that he "is aware of the negative impact that this decision will have on both the Post Office and the residents who rely on the service.
"I have contacted the Post Office and asked that the decision is reviewed and an exemption granted.
"I have also raised my concern at the short notice given of this change."
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