Post Office buildings

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32667, 24 July 1971, Page 16

Post Office buildings

Although the timetable for Post Office building in Christchurch is unchanged, many people and particularly Post Office employees will be pleased to have firm evidence of progress towards getting the Postal Centre under way. Last November, the Postmaster-General (Mr McCready) reported that the project had been delayed because of “problems in “ the development of sketch plans ” and because of a need to regulate the launching of major building schemes to avoid putting undue pressure on the building industry. He expected that tenders would be called in 1972 for the building of the Postal Centre; and that, according to Mr McCready yesterday, remains the plan.

Most people will be much more interested in the replacement of the Chief Post Office building in Cathedral Square: and this is not likely to be finished before 1978. Nevertheless, the Postal Centre is an essential part of the programme. Because it will be a large building, and conspicuous on a very attractive site, Christchurch will be equally interested in the efficiency of the centre and in its appearance. Since the centre will be slightly removed from the innermost streets of the city, and will be between two one-w ay streets, the traffic it will generate should cause no problems; indeed, the diversion of some traffic from the central blocks of the city will be welcome.