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A historic town centre building has been granted extra protection by Wokingham Borough Council.
The former Broad Street post office, which recently celebrated its 90th birthday, has been added to the council’s register of buildings of traditional local character after a nomination by the Wokingham Society – a civic group that protects the town’s architectural heritage.
Completed in 1932, the red-brick neo-Georgian style building will now be recongised as “locally significant”, meaning it is protected from planning applications which does not conserve the site’s special characteristics.
The designation falls just short of the criteria for national listing, however the requirements for anyone applying for planning permission remain the same.
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Chairman of the Wokingham Society Peter Must, said they are “delighted” with the decision to safeguard the “fine example” of a style popular in the 20th century.
He added: “While Wokingham rejoices in the number of its buildings from the medieval, Tudor, Georgian and Victorian periods, there are few large public buildings which date from the inter-war years and probably none as imposing as this.”
Designed by architect David Dyke, it was opened by dignitaries including the town’s Mayor, Alderman Albert Ebenezer Priest, who bought the first stamps from the slot machine and posted the first two letters.
It cost £20,000 and took about three years to build, during which trenches were dug across the main road which created an added challenge for staff collecting and delivering post.
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It now serves as a Royal Mail delivery office, with the town’s Post Office based around the corner in Market Place.
Executive member for planning and local plan, Cllr Lindsay Ferris, said that council was “very happy” to support the nomination and thanked the Wokingham Society for the “many hours” it spent preparing the application.
He explained: “We share their desire to preserve the town’s historic heritage, as we do across the borough, and will take every step available to protect our historic landmarks for future generations – whether they are centuries old or a little more recent.”
The nomination was also supported by Wokingham Town Council, whose built heritage consultant praised the society’s nomination as “well researched” and said it had put forward a strong case.
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She added: “Overall, the building does add positively to the historic and architectural interest and evolution of Broad Street. It is clearly well regarded locally… it is certainly a handsome and well-conceived historic building.”
Royal Mail, the landowner, raised no objections as long as the designation doesn’t apply to the service yard and other adjacent buildings as they are needed for its day-to-day running, which was agreed.
