Melksham's Crown Post Office could move to a former carpet shop in March, if new plans are approved.

Post Office Ltd – which revealed earlier this year it hoped to move the town’s office from Church Street to a town centre shop – announced on Tuesday it had selected 6-8 Bank Street, once a Carpet Barn store. If approved, the new outlet will be open for an extra 14 hours a week and have four fully accessible serving counters.

Town councillor Terri Welch, who also manages the Tourist Information Centre opposite the Post Office, said: “I am pleased for some clarity at last. They certainly have done what they said; it’s in the centre of town and I think a lot of older people will use it because it’s just round the corner from the bus stop.

“It’s good it’s a small shop it’s going to, and not a branch in one of the supermarkets.”

Roger Gale, crown network general manager at the Post Office, said: “We are committed to keeping a Post Office branch in Melksham and to maintaining the same levels of service for our customers.

“We believe the best way for us to do this is to change the way we operate it, so if the move goes ahead it will be run by Crab and Andrews Retail rather than by us directly.”

Royal Mail confirmed it had no plans to close the sorting office, also in Church Street and operated separately to the Post Office.

A public consultation into plans will end on January 20.

Chris Roche, of the Communication Workers’ Union, which represents Post Office staff, said: “This seems a viable proposal, but it’s still very much a loss of status.

“This is a very narrow consultation, in terms of those things you can actually oppose.”

Submissions can be made through an online questionnaire, which is available at www.postofficeviews.co.uk.