Concerns over Wisbech Post Office memorial sees promise from building’s owner over its future

The owner of the former Wisbech Post Office has offered to hand over a memorial plaque commemorating the lives of postal workers lost in two world wars.

The offer comes after retired postie, Stephen Denniss, raised his concerns over the plaque paid for by postmen and women after the First World War to remember their colleagues from Wisbech.

He feared the plaque may be lost or damaged amid plans to convert the former town Post Office in Bridge Street into flats.

An application by Mr Azam of East West Holding Ltd to covert the Grade II listed building into 33 one-bedroom flats with the ground floor being changed from retail to two commercial units was approved last summer.

Mr Denniss said: “The plaque is there on a wall in an empty building and I’m concerned that at some point someone is going to slip and hit it with a hammer, or it is going to get taken down and possibly slung in a skip and no one will be any the wiser.

“It needs to be moved to some way safe so people can see it, the Royal Mail website has already been moved to the new sorting office.

“But it certainly hasn’t and I’m not sure that’s the best for it anyway as the callers' office is very small and no one will see it. The actual sorting office is like a glorified agricultural building. I think the best place for it is either the Wisbech Museum or St Peter’s Church.”

At the time of the planning application, the Wisbech Society had objected amid fears the memorial plaque might be lost, as previous applications for the building had sought to remove it – a move that was refused each time.

The town council also objected to the application on the grounds it was over-development of the site.

However, an officer report recommended approval when it went before Fenland District Council’s planning committee in June last year, and councillors went along with the recommendation.

The council’s conservation officer said the memorial should be retained. It said the plaque connected the fallen men with the historic Post Office building where they had worked and was therefore considered part of the architectural and historic history of the listed building.

However, there is no condition within the planning consent to protect the memorial, which bears the names of 13 men.

The Imperial War Museum’s War Memorials Register also mistakenly lists it as having been relocated to the sorting office in Enterprise Way.

Mr Denniss added: “I am sure I am not alone in thinking that it is not appropriate for the memorial plaque to remain in the old Post Office once it has been converted. I have tried contacting Royal Mail about this but without success.”

Following Mr Denniss raising his concerns the Fenland Citizen contacted Mr Azam’s agent, Sophie Green of Wilson Archietects, to ask what is planned for the plaque.

She contacted her client and said: “The client is happy for them to have the plaque and do what they think is best.”

Mr Denniss, was delighted with the news and said the ball was now in Royal Mail’s court.

He said: “I think it should be up to Royal Mail to retrieve it and if it is not feasible to move it to the current sorting office to either donate it to the museum or have it put in St Peter’s Church.”