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23

Jun 2021

Last Updated: 23/06/2021
Community
Community

Post office to return to Masham in £1.5m heritage scheme

by Suzannah Rogerson

| 23 Jun, 2021
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The former grocery store Reah's is to be completely renovated into a community building that will include a post office, grocery store, Edwardian-style tearoom, heritage and learning centre and four affordable flats.

peacock-and-verity-masham-shop
An Illustration Of What Peacock & Verity Will Look Like Once Complete C Peacock & Verity.

A new grocery store and post office is set to open in Masham next year as part of an ambitious £1.5 million heritage project.

The former grocery store Reah's at 15 Silver Street will be completely renovated by Masham-based non-profit company Peacock and Verity Community Spaces Ltd.

As well as a grocery store and Post Office counter, the building will include an Edwardian-style tearoom, heritage and learning centre celebrating Masham and four affordable flats.

The project, which has received planning permission from Harrogate Borough Council, has been in the pipeline since autumn 2019 .

The building has been at the heart of the town for over 200 years and this renovation aims to return it to its former glory.

The £1.5m cost of buying and renovating the property is being funded by numerous grants.

Harrogate Borough Council, Broadacres Housing Association and Homes England have all been involved in progressing the scheme.

Traditional ethos


The new grocery store will use traditional methods, such as selling items by weight and using limited packaging. The Edwardian-style tea room will reflect the one that existed before the outbreak of the First World War.

The heritage and learning centre will host workshops and activities as operate as a training space for local businesses.

Four affordable flats will also be developed on the first and second floors. They will be managed by a housing association and allocated to those in need of housing in Mashamshire.



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The project is due to be completed next year.

Alan Hodges, chair of the Peacock and Verity Community Spaces board, said:

“Peacock and Verity Community Spaces is delighted that the vision and hard work of our directors, staff, and partners has been recognised by Harrogate’s planners.
"Our architect, surveyors, heritage and business advisors, and housing association partners have been working on this project for several years, and we are now much closer to bringing the whole building back to life.


Councillor Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities at Harrogate Borough Council, said:

"It is the first community-led scheme in the district to have reached this stage.
"We look forward to continuing to work with all partners as the building is restored to its former glory - a fitting testimony to Masham’s rich heritage."