Shock plans have been announced by the Post Office to close down its 103-year-old landmark branch in Huddersfield town centre.

Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman is furious about the plans to merge its operations in New Street and Northumberland Street and create a new branch elsewhere in the town.

He denounced the plans as “a nasty little plot” and says he intends to raise the matter in the House of Commons as soon as possible.

The huge building on Northumberland Street, the back of which extends out on to St Peter’s Street, is a similar size and period as the George Hotel in St George’s Square, which sold for more than £800,000 five years ago.

In January 2017 the Post Office revealed it was looking at its New Street branch in Huddersfield town centre and inviting bidders to take it on as a franchise.

Now the company says it aims to merge New Street and Huddersfield Post Offices into one branch in a new location, run by a new franchise partner.

Huddersfield branch has been informed.

It adds: “We have this morning (Monday) updated the team at the New Street Post Office to inform them we are in discussions with an interested retail partner and have been making progress with regard to future plans for the branch.

“This is detailed work and there is still more that needs to be done, which could take a few months to complete, before Post Office can sign a conditional contract with the potential new partner and progress into consultation on our plans.”

Post Office, New Street, Huddersfield
Post Office, New Street, Huddersfield

But the news has infuriated Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman who said: “It’s a disgrace. It’s a key service and Northumberland Street is one of the most famous Post Offices in the country, a prime Victorian building and is situated on a wonderful street, close to historic St George’s Square.

“It is also being suggested at a time when our town centre is in a fragile state because of online shopping. We have got a have a critical mass of things that pull people into the town centre and that Post Office is one of them.

“I sense a cynical plot to sell off that building which is in a prime position and erect a much cheaper but nasty place in the town centre run by some retailer such as WH Smith. It’s a nasty little plot and I will be raising it in the House of Commons as soon as possible. We will fight this closure.”

The Post Office says: “In recent years we have modernised over 7,000 branches across the country, offering over 200,000 additional opening hours. However, we need to continue to adapt our network to be sustainable and meet the changing needs of our customers offering longer opening hours and greater convenience.”

The Post Office and the Communication Workers Union have been approached for comment.

The Northumberland Street branch was officially opened on October 31, 1914, with the Mayor of Huddersfield, Alderman J Blamires, posting the first letter. Plans for an elaborate ceremony had been scrapped as the First World War had broken out just weeks before.

Northumberland Street post office was designed in a generally classical style by architect C P Wilkinson, from the Office of Works. It was his first major post office scheme and he went on to design more than 30 post office buildings across northern England and North Wales.