CROSSFLATTS Post Office is to shut on Tuesday October 30 due to the resignation of the branch's postmaster.

Efforts are now underway to ensure services can be quickly restored following this date, with a letter to customers from Post Office Limited saying the "regrettable" closure of the Keighley Road premises will be temporary.

It adds: "The provision of a Post Office service to our customers in the local community is important to us, and we will continue to work hard to restore services in the area as soon as possible.

"We would welcome any applications from potential retail partners interested in running a branch locally on our behalf.

"The vacancy is currently being advertised on our website, runapostoffice.co.uk and applications will be carefully considered."

Reacting to the news, Bingley Ward councillor David Heseltine said: "This post office is an important facility for many people in Crossflatts.

"There is quite a large older population who live very nearby and rely heavily on it for their pensions and banking.

"It is well used and the electronic alternative doesn't necessarily work for all members of our community.

"I'd urge Post Office Ltd to sort out a replacement sooner rather than later."

Cllr Ros Dawson, chairman of Bingley Town Council, said: β€œIt is so important that Crossflatts has a Post Office facility, as so many members of the community, particularly the elderly, rely on it for banking and other services.

"The closure of the Post Office will be on the agenda of the next Town Council meeting. In the meantime, I urge the Post Office to find a solution quickly and for people to make their views known through the channels provided.”

Residents can also contact the town councillors representing Crossflatts – Marcus Dearden and Sara Hardman.

The Post Office Ltd spokesman has said: "We're currently investigating the options available which will enable us to reinstate a Post Office service to the local community.

"In exploring this, it's important that any future service is sustainable for the person operating the service, and for Post Office Limited.

"Future provision will reflect customer numbers and usage and we may take the opportunity to establish an alternative type of service.

"This may be an outreach service where a postmaster from a nearby branch offers the facility with hours of opening set to reflect the likely number of customers who will use the service.

"Or it may be a new style local branch which run alongside an established shop in newly refurbished premises.

"We'd like to apologise for the inconvenience the temporary closure may cause."