PLANS to move Murch Post Office to McColls newsagents have prompted Dinas Powys Community Council to request a meeting with a post office representative.

Residents have aired their concerns about the proposed relocation from Camms Corner to Castle Drive, 320 metres apart, with many people saying that they feel the newsagents would be unable to adequately house a busy post office.

The new post office, planned to open in January, would more than double opening hours and also see opening extended to all-day Saturday and a new Sunday service.

The post office would be open for 97 hours a week, an increase of 51 extra hours.

The main concerns, however, have surrounded the amount of room in the new premises and the accessibility for the elderly, disabled people or parents with young children, prams or pushchairs.

The public consultation undertaken by Post Office Ltd ended today (Thursday, November 27).

Chairman of Dinas Powys Community Council Chris Franks said that the suggestion had caused "unease" in the area. As a result the council have requested a meeting with a Post Office officer to express local concerns.

"We have written to the Post Office but so far we have only received a standard acknowledgement," said Cllr Franks. "Community councillors wishes to properly engage with the Post Office to explore all the options.

"We have been promised a more substantial reply shortly."

Cllr Franks also suggested that an alternative site for relocation could be a solutio.

"Some residents have asked if would be possible to locate the post office in a section of the Murch Library," he said. "This would also help to maintain the viability of the Library.

"With so much change on the horizon with council services we have to be very careful to seek to look after the interests of the community.”

The Post Office have said that the plans are "part of a major programme of modernisation and investment taking place across the Post Office network" that are the largest in the history of the Post Office, "with up to 8000 branches modernised and additional investment in over 3,000 community and outreach branches".

The new premises in Dinas would, according the the Post Office, "create a modern open-plan local style branch with significantly extended opening hours for customers".