The mayor of Avon in France has declined requests to exhume Katherine Mansfield's remains to lay them to rest in Wellington.

The Katherine Mansfield Birthplace Society was leading the move and mayor Justin Letter had written a letter in support.

But French authorities have responded with a definitive no.

The Katherine Mansfield Birthplace Society has just received the response today and is in the midst of translating the rest of it.

MORE: Bid to bring Katherine Mansfield's remains back to NZ underway