Council chiefs had hoped the post office would move from WH Smith into a new base in the former Harveys furniture store – just yards from its previous base on Abingdon Street.

A letter has been sent to Post Office Ltd from Blackpool Council, offering a spot within Harveys, but the firm has not yet replied.

The council has bought Harveys for £1.2m.

The post office was moved into WH Smith less than a year ago, sparking huge controversy.

But bosses at the stationery firm have said the post office will stay at its current site.

A spokesman for WH Smith said: "From our point of view, the post office inside WH Smith in Blackpool is very much there to stay.

"It is in a modern environment inside the store and we will be offering a high quality service and a whole range of post office services for years to come."

The pledge to try to move the post office to Harveys was suggested by Blackpool Council's tourism and regeneration councillor, Maxine Callow, during a meeting two weeks ago.

The proposal received cross party support, with many councillors speaking out against the WH Smith branch.

Councillors said the underground basement location of the post office inside WH Smith had made it unpopular with pensioners.

Disabled Lorraine Tyrer, from North Shore, who struggles with walking, said: "I don't like it.

"It's hard for people with wheelchairs and it has also reduced the amount of products available in WH Smith itself, which is a shame.

"It's a brilliant idea to move it because parking is a nightmare here too."

But her friend Catherine Fitzpatrick, from central Blackpool, didn't see a major problem.

"I'm alright with it in WH Smith," she said."I don't see a big problem but then again I'm not disabled and I don't have a problem with getting there."

Blackpool postal workers, meanwhile, have welcomed the decision by the Government to postpone plans to part-privatise the Royal Mail.

Business Secretary Peter Mandelson was considering massive reforms of the Royal Mail, including a multi-billion pound sell off of a part of the business to a private firm.

But the Government failed to find a buyer to purchase a 30 per cent stake.

Blackpool-based Carl Webb, regional secretary for the Communication Workers Union, said: "The feeling is the Government have realised how unpopular the idea was.

"I don't think it will become an issue again until after a general election. But we've no doubt the Tories would look to privatise it if they got in.

"What we have to remember is there is still a lot of work to be done to tackle issues like the huge hole in the Royal Mail pension scheme, and staff morale being at an all time low.

"The union is up for the fight. We just hope Royal Mail and the Government are too."