The post office in Hurdsfield could be closed and moved to a new site.

Royal Mail wants to shut the branch on Hurdsfield Road and move it to a new site on Buxton Road. Letters have been sent to residents asking for their views as part of a six-week consultation.

The Post Office says it wants to open a modern branch with disabled access and significantly longer opening hours. But the Hurdsfield ward councillor and some customers are unhappy.

Coun Gill Boston said: "From my discussions with local people they either didn’t know of the proposals or the consultation or are extremely concerned about the problems it will cause

"Hurdsfield and Alison and Balmoral Drive have a significantly higher population of older people than the surrounding areas who will be particularly disadvantaged.

"Anyone living in Hurdsfield or the roads off Hurdsfield Road will have to walk over half-a-mile up Higher Fence Avenue over an unlit dirt track covered in huge potholes to reach Buxton Road.

"There is no dedicated parking and there are no drop-off points nearby so congestion may make it difficult for car users and pedestrians alike to access the branch."

Coun Boston said if the office does have to move, the Co-op store on Hurdsfield Green would have been a better location.

Lilian Lovett, 67, of nearby Delamere Drive, said it was a ridiculous idea. "It’s going to cause an awful lot of difficulty for me and a lot of other people, especially those with mobility issues."

Lilian also has a daughter, Dawn 43, who has learning difficulties and says she relies on her local branch.

"I use it a lot for paying bills and withdrawing money, and it’s not just myself I’ve got to think about. "So it would have cause a lot of hardship f if we had to travel all the way to Buxton Road. I think it’s an absolutely ridiculous idea to move it."

The new branch would be run alongside a shop with Post Office products and services available. It would open 50 hours a week from 9am-10pm weekdays and also on Saturdays and Sundays.

Bob Heyes, who has been postmaster at the branch for more than 20 years said: "I am looking towards retirement so this fits in with my plans. I have been here a long time so I would be sad to see it go. But this will make sure there remains a post office this side of Macc. And the new branch will offer all the same services and be open a lot longer."

The consultation closes on January 28.Write to Freepost, Your Comments, Post Office Ltd, email comments@postoffice.co.uk or call 08457 22 33 44.