Plans have been submitted to convert a former post office into a café/wine bar.

The application, if successful, would see the old Rising Bridge Post Office converted into a café/wine bar.

Alterations to the front and side of the property, in Blackburn Road, Rising Bridge, would also take place if officers at Rossendale Council give the plans the green light.

The plans have been submitted by Barbara Poole, the former postmistress who ran the post office for 27 years until its closure in May.

At the time, she said it had been “a privilege” to serve the people of Rising Bridge and she was closing the office due to “ill health”.

She added: “Depending on the situation we find ourselves in, we may re-open at a later date as a new business, with a completely new venture.”

She had also asked nearby residents at the time for suggestions on what the new venture could be to suit the area.

The plans state the existing door would be shut off and turned into a window, with the former entrance door reinstated.

The post office counter would become the bar’s serving counter, with four tables with seating for 14 people in the former retail and waiting areas.

A unisex toilet would also be created, with the back-room kitchen and basement storage area to remain.

The café/wine bar would create four full-time and two part-time jobs, and be open 8am to 10pm, seven days a week.

Public consultation is open on the plans until Friday, August 23, with a deadline for a decision to be made on the plans of Thursday, September 26.

When the office closed in May, the Post Office thanked Ms Poole for her “long and loyal” service and said plans to move it to two other locations had failed, and due to funding and resource constraints the post office would not be replaced.

It means the nearest post office for Rising Bridge residents is located 1.5 miles away in Haslingden, with another 2.3 miles away in Accrington.