Breckland District Council orders for Litcham Post Office to remove ‘visually intrusive’ signage

The owners of a 300-year-old village post office have fallen foul of council officials who have ordered them to remove their new shop frontage.

Officers from Breckland Council say the changes to Litcham Post Office are “visually intrusive” and “harmful” and must be reversed.

The new frontage on the Grade II-listed redbrick property, on the village High Street, features black aluminium framing, with a large banner hung above it saying the store is now under new management.

There are also digital display signs in the window, which have caught the disapproving eye of the council planners.

In their report, they say the unauthorised changes are “incongruous” with Litcham’s historic setting and “harmful to the special interest of the building.”

They also highlight alterations to the window frames and paintwork, and interference with the original timber subframe.

The council said the works breached listed-building regulations and must now be reversed.

A historic buildings officer expressed particular concern over the loss of the post office’s previous blue frontage, much of which is now encased in the black aluminium.

Litcham Parish Council backed the decision, insisting that the building’s original timber frontage and sash windows be reinstated “in keeping with the heritage colour” of the historic streetscape.

The alterations form part of a wider refurbishment of the shop, following approval earlier this year to demolish and rebuild the rear of the property.

Located on picturesque Church Street, the post office is one of the last remaining amenities in the village – a fact that has divided local opinion over the controversy.

One local said the new look was “not really in keeping with the building,” but added: “We all have to make progress” because “so many village shops are closing and we need it to keep going.”

Another villager agreed and said: “I wouldn’t want to see the village shop fail.

“There are a lot of elderly people here and we don’t have good public transport, so a shop is essential.”

Others defended the owners: “The shop is better than it has been for years, I don’t really mind how it looks.”

Following the council’s refusal, the owners must now either appeal the decision or remove the signage and restore the shopfront in line with its listed status.