Page 973 - Reading Mercury

Wokingham Town Council’s General Purpose Committee At the meeting was the
architect, Mr. John Fryman, who in 1960 won £1,000 in a competition to design the
new buildings. Soon after this was held there was a national financial crisis and local
government capital expenditure was heavily curtailed.
Last year the ministry sanctioned the preparatory work for the new project to be
built in three stages—and suggested that the proposals in the twinning design were in
some respect too lavish for Wokingham and called for an amended plan. It was the
approved amended plan that members were shown on Tuesday.
In the first stage—estimated to cost about £50,000—will be the departments of the
three principal offices, the Town Clerk, Borough Treasurer and Borough Surveyor.
The second stage would add the Public Health and Housing Departments, the main
entrance hall and enquiry office and the council suite, comprising a council chamber,
ante-room and committee rooms.
The third and final stage would be a public hall, now designed for 450 as compared
with the 600 in the original plan.
Mr. Fryman told the council that to comply with the Ministry requirements
interview rooms, waiting rooms and corridor apace had been deleted from his original
design. In some respects it would be difficult to differentiate between the two plans.
The decision to build in three stages meant that the first development was without a
main entrance hall. In fact the entrance to the first block would be the fire escape
route for the completed project.
Car parking facilities for the first stage would provide for 40 cars. And a further 110
cars would be catered for in the second stage. One difficulty that would have to be
overcome was that of an access road to the site. Originally it had been envisaged that
a private developer of land at the rear of the council project would build an access
road to council specifications which could be used during construction. This road had
not materialised.
The Town Clerk explained that although no agreement had been signed with the
developers giving them a right of way over the council’s land. It was agreed that they
should have this if the road was constructed within two years. The time had not yet
expired but it was doubtful if it could now be constructed in the remaining period.

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