Page 1046 - Reading Mercury

th
Thur 9 Aug
COUNCIL STAND FIRM ON LISTED BUILDING
Wokingham Borough Council are standing firm in their determination that every
effort must be made to retain the external appearance of a centuries-old “listed”
building when the site in the town centre is redeveloped. The property is 26—28
Market Place.
Permission was granted to Queensmere Estates Ltd., in September of last year to
demolish the existing buildings, apart from the front elevation, which was to be kept
intact and incorporated in the ensuing shops and office development. Since then the
architects have drawn the Council’s attention to the difficulties of trying to preserve
the façade during the alterations, and had included a report from their structural
engineers. They are now seeking permission to replace the frontage, but the Town
Planning Committee decided that the architects should be informed that the design in
model form as submitted would not meet with the approval of the council.
“I think when this first came up members of the committee did have very grave
doubts as to whether these alterations should be granted approved,” Ald R.F. Board-
Jones told the Council at the meeting on Thursday last week.
“We have seen before instances where attempts were made to preserve old
frontages, and where during the building operations accidents have happened to the
framework and it has been found incapable of joining up the new with the old.”
On this occasion they had been given an assurance nothing of that nature would
happen with the premises in Denmark Street, that the old would match up with the
new, the stucco frontage preserved, and it might be to the town’s benefit if they be
gone over by specialists.
“Yet once again there appears there is going to be trouble. I would like to know just
how much trouble we may expect and whether these is going to be possible to
preserve this old frontage which means quite a lot to that particular section of the
town”
Cllr. Ian Craig, Town Planning Chairman, confirmed what had been said about
previous occurrences, but said the corporation have tried hard to overcome this by
stating which part of the building must remain. To the best of his knowledge there had
been nothing untoward, of the developers moving in front of that line. This committee
want to make every effort to preserve the frontage. A meeting would take place on the
site between the Planning Officer, the architects and the structural engineers, to
ascertain the best means of achieving that aim.

th
Thur 4 Oct
ELDERLY COMFORTS AT WOKINGHAM
Work on Wokingham’s long-awaited Day Centre for the Elderly should commence
in two weeks and be completed by the Spring. After considerable difficulty in getting
firms to tender for the job of reconstructing Little Court, Reading Road, the site
selected for the Day Centre by the Committee of the Wokingham and District
Association for the Elderly, one tender has been accepted.
As part of the planned work is not to be carried out a new price will have to be
quoted. This is a cottage in the grounds which was to have been altered for the use of
a caretaker, and stables which were to be turned into a games room, but they are now
to be demolished
The firm has agreed to install gas central heating and a lift; renew all wiring;
construct a kitchen suitable for the use of the house and for the Meals on Wheels
service: build new toilets and special facilities, such as a wheelchair entry into the

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