The Post Office is proposing to move Keighley Post Office from its current location to create a modern open-plan branch with extended opening hours.

The proposed new location for the branch is inside the WH Smith store at 27 Cooke Lane, Airedale Centre, Keighley, which is 125 metres from its current site at 44 Towngate, Keighley.

The Post Office will be inviting customers and interested parties to give their comments on the move in a public consultation that starts today.

The move is part of a major modernisation programme across the Post Office network designed to ensure Post Office branches are sustainable, profitable and no longer reliant on Government funding.

Keighley Post Office is currently one of around 370 Crown branches directly owned by Post Office Ltd.

The vast majority of Post Office branches - more than 10,000 - are run by third parties within their retail premises.

There will be no compulsory redundancies as a result of the proposed move.

Roger Gale, Crown Network General Manager, said: “We are committed to keeping a Post Office branch in Keighley and to maintaining the same levels of service for our customers.”

Opening hours at the new location would be 9am to 5:30pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 3pm on Sundays.

The consultation will close on February 3, 2014. The proposed time frame for the move is March or April 2014.

Submissions can be made through an online questionnaire at postofficeviews.co.uk, by FREEPOST Your Comments to Post Office Ltd, via email to comments@postoffice.co.uk, via the Customer Helpline on 08457 22 33 44 or Textphone 08457 22 33 55.

Customers are asked to quote branch code 010306 in all communication.