A battle to save a popular and well-used Post Office in Earls Court has been lost.

The Crown Post Office in Earls Court Road will close on January 30 and merge into Kensington Crown Post Office in Kensington High Street .

The Post Office says the decision was taken following feedback from a 12-week public consultation which ran from last June to September.

But the move has been opposed by Kensington and Chelsea Council , and at a public meeting in September organised by ward councillors and attended by senior PO management, angry residents made clear they did not want to lose the amenity.

The PO say the development is part of ongoing plans to create a network that is modern, sustainable and profitable.

More than 100 people attended a meeting over the closure the Earls Court Post Office branch in St Cuthbert's Church

The improved Kensington branch will have increased staffing levels which will ensure that staffing hours are closely aligned to changes in customer demand. The branch has already been modernised and improvements included new style self-service kiosks.

At the September meeting, Martine Munby from the PO’s public affairs team said the decision to close the branch, whose lease with Transport for London is due to expire shortly, was not a foregone conclusion.

But Lib Dem Linda Wade, one of the three ward councillors who arranged the meeting, does not believe that to be the case. She told getwestlondon : “We went through the procedure of a consultation but I feel that they made up their mind beforehand.”

She also said the decision was more incredulous as more than 7,000 new homes are being built in the area as part of the Earls Court Exhibition Centre development . She said: “They have not been creative with how they could develop the business. They have not taken into consideration the services they provide for older residents. They could utilise the site better.

“There are 7,600 new homes being built. Who in their right mind would want to give up their position in the high street in light of the development? It doesn’t make sense to me.

“It’s really sad news.”

K&C Council leader Nick Paget-Brown had also opposed the closure . Speaking ahead of the September meeting, he said: “I want to urge all residents to respond to this consultation and to come along to the public meeting and make their views heard. This branch is a valuable community asset in an area that is home to a high number of supported and sheltered housing complexes.”

The Earls Court branch will close at 12.30pm January 30, with services transferred to Kensington High Street February 1.