The St. George's Historical Preservation Authority and the Ministry of Works and Engineering have finally reached common ground in the row over St. George's Post Office.

Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott said on Friday that work on the roof of the historic building has yet to go ahead, but, he hopes it can begin within the next ten days.

"We are erring on the side of an abundance of caution now," said Mr. Scott.

He said his Ministry is bending over backwards to ensure the preservation group is satisfied down to the last "door knob".

The delays caused by the roof row have been "frustrating", Mr. Scott said yesterday. He told The Royal Gazette that staff at the post office have been rained on a number of times due to the lack of a roof on the structure since early June.

And he said the work that will be done is essentially the same work which began when the roof was torn off.

Works and Engineering and the St. George's Preservation Authority came to loggerheads in June when crews tore the roof off the Grade 2 listed building without consulting the preservation authority or obtaining planning permission.

The authority slapped an injunction on the Government crews, halting work which members described as a "desecration".

The injunction was lifted as the two groups entered talks on how to proceed to correct the damage to the historic building, which was originally constructed as a jail in 1760.

The building also stands on the site of the Island's first prison which was built in 1622 by Governor Nathaniel Butler.

Works and Engineering filed for retroactive Planning permission for the removal of the roof over the main building and veranda and the replacement of the lower level windows" in July.

"Without speculating as to how the Post Office got to its current state, this application is submitted for the purpose of acquiring final approval for the property renovations as delineated in the submitted documents," Works and Engineering officer Myron Burchall wrote to Planning.

"It is our understanding that the existing condition of the Post Office has been dealt with in other forums prior to this application. Proper protocol has been re-established with this submission."

When the roof was taken off, Mr. Scott said his Ministry did not require authority or Planning permission.

Both the preservation authority and the National Trust disagreed.

But, according to the letters filed with the Planning Department, the two groups have now agreed to replace the building's roof to match the appearance of the original.

The work is still pending planning approval which was deferred in the August 29 meeting of the Development Applications Board in order to allow the authority to respond to details in the Works and Engineering plan.

The Authority only meets once a month.

According to submitted plans, Works and Engineering intends to replace the roof with non-exposed, standard, structural lumber, to redo exposed verandas and rafters in Bermuda cedar and to restore masonry details on a wall plate.

"Careful attention has been taken to match the historical record and on refurbishing the building to its original state," wrote Mr. Burchall. "In an effort to achieve these goals, ...consultations with knowledgeable individuals representing the National Trust have occurred. In particular we have worked under the watchful eye of Mr. Charles Tatem."