Bungay Town Council has given its backing to a proposal to relocate the town's post office branch.

A six week consultation was launched at the start of the month after the Post Office announced plans to move the service from its current site in Earsham Street to McColls Retail Group Ltd in St Mary's Street, and reopen as a modern main-style branch with longer opening hours.

The announcement was discussed at a meeting of the town council on Monday. Bungay mayor Sylvia Knights said their major concern was the necessity to ensure the long term future of a post office in the town.

Speaking after the meeting she said: 'It was recognised that the move actually offers a more central location, longer opening hours, would increase much needed footfall for St Mary's Street and also offers more car parking near the site.

'Of particular concern to councillors was accessibility for all users. The published proposals do address access and facilities for disabled users, but there was concern that the pavement leading from Priory Lane car park to the proposed site is in a poor state of repair and would need improvement.

'The council decided that in their response to the consultation they would approve the move but would record their concern over these issues and also their hope that should the move go ahead that the existing premises would not stand empty.'

The new Bungay Post Office would have three modern serving positions and would offer customers an extra 29 hours of post office services every week including Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings.

The move would see the creation of two screened positions, which would be open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5.30pm, as well as a post office service point at the retail counter offering selected post office products and services outside of the core hours from 6am to 9am and 5.30pm to 6pm Monday to Saturday, and from 7am to 1pm on Sundays.

Customers and interested parties are invited to give their comments on the move in a six-week consultation, which will close on April 15. Submissions can be made 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 on 08457 22 33 55.