PLANS to close Chester-le-Street’s main post office and move services to a franchise have been dropped.

The Post Office says that a “significant increase” in rental costs has made ”unsustainable” its proposals to replace the Crown facility at 137 Front Street with counters in a shop in North Burns.

The planned shake-up was unpopular with many customers and the news has been welcomed by North Durham Labour MP Kevan Jones.

But he has warned that the town will have to watch for Post Office managers trying to revisit the idea in the future.

General manager of the Crown Post Office Network, Roger Gale, said: “Post Office can confirm that we are withdrawing the proposal to relocate Chester-le-Street Post Office to North Burns.

“Chester-le-Street Post Office will therefore be retained in its current location and will continue to be operated directly by Post Office Ltd.

“I would like to express my appreciation for the great work of our colleagues at Chester-le-Street Post Office who continue to provide an excellent service to customers.”

Mr Jones said: “It was a damn silly idea in the first place so it is good news.

“If you go to the Post Office, on a weekday or on a Saturday, it is chocker

“Where they were proposing to put it, near a busy junction and away from the rest of the shops in the heart of Chester-le-Street, was nonsense.

“If they were going to relocate it they should at least have had a building with the space to have the space to accommodate the number of people that use it.

“The new place would have been cramped and would also have left a large, empty building on Front Street with no use.

“It is good news that the Post Office have seen sense but we need to guard against the fact they may try to find another location.”

The proposal, part of a national programme to switch services to franchised operations, was opposed by residents and the Communication Workers Union (CWU).

Concerns centred on the new location and facilities there and the loss of experienced Post Office staff.

The counter services would have moved to a convenience store near the town’s crossroads at Bridge End and been managed by Northern Retail CLS Ltd with Nisa Retail Ltd.

The art deco Crown office, half way down Front Street, was opened during the short reign of King Edward VIII and is one of only a handful of buildings bearing his Royal Emblem. A Royal Mail delivery office is also there.