PLANS to move an 80-year-old Post Office half a mile up a hill have sparked a wave of protest.

Following the retirement of the operator the current Rose Hill Post Office premises at the junction of Calderbrook Avenue and Manchester Road will close.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The Post Office management want to move it 650 metres to the Premier Top Shop at 530 Cog Lane near the junction with Rossendale Road.

Local Liberal Democrat councillors Gordon Birtwistle and Geoff Sumner have been inundated with objections from local residents, particularly pensioners, who say the new site is too far away and up a steep hill making it difficult for them to use.

They have launched a campaign to try and keep the branch in the parade of shops where it is currently located, possibly in the Spar store.

Post Office bosses say the new location will provide a modern open-plan retail environment, and seven-day opening increasing its availability to customers to 112 hours a week.

Former MP Cllr Birtwistle and Cllr Sumner have launched a campaign and petition to get as many people as possible to protest at the move during the six-week public consultation period. They have already raised hundreds of signatures for a petition opposing the move.

Management say the new branch will be a new ‘Post Office Local’, delivering products and services throughout shop opening hours from an open-plan till at the shop counter instead of from a separate screened counter.

Coal Clough and Deerplay Cllr Birtwistle said: “This post office has been at this location for decades. It is in the middle of a parade of shops and on a direct bus route into Burnley town centre.

“The current location is convenient for the many retired and elderly people who live nearby. It is up a steep hill and the walk will be impossible for many customers who currently use it.

“Now it’s in a nice little parade of shops. We want to keep it there, preferably in the Spar shop a couple of doors way.”

Rosehill with Burnley Wood Cllr Sumner said: “According to the retiring sub-postmaster, this post office has been in the same location for 80 years.

“It’s too far away and the hill is too steep for its many elderly customers.”

Post Office Ltd North-West regional manager Suzanne Richardson said: “We understand how important having a Post Office is to residents in Burnley and we are confident that this new modern Post Office service will meet the needs of the local community and secure services for the future.”

The consultation will close on Wednesday, October 7, 2015.

Submissions by Freepost YOUR COMMENTS to Post Office Ltd, via email to comments@postoffice.co.uk, via the Customer Helpline on 03457 22 33 44, Textphone 03457 22 33 55 or at postofficeviews.co.uk with the branch code 190407.