A heritage protection group is mourning the likely loss of a historic house in Stuart St – and fear it could just be the beginning.<\/p>\n
The 105-year-old Edmund Anscombe-designed home is likely to be demolished, and the Southern Heritage Trust is calling on the Dunedin City Council to seek a heritage order to prevent it.<\/p>\n
Southern Heritage Trust chairwoman Jo Galer said it was preposterous that with this much community concern, “this landmark in Stuart St is still going to be smashed to pieces”.<\/p>\n
“The council created these planning laws, ignoring warnings from heritage supporters, where we said our new district plan (the 2GP) had left tracts of the city\u2019s heritage exposed to as-of-right non-notified demolition.<\/p>\n
“This beautiful grand home\u2019s wilful destruction is a tragic consequence of the council choosing to ignore our concerns and go for intensification of the inner city at all costs.”<\/p>\n
When Elim Group first proposed demolition of the house for development – and the removal of a heritage-protected tree – last year, it attracted more than 100 submissions to the council, most of them in opposition.<\/p>\n
Elim Group eventually withdrew its original consent application and lodged a new application for a multi-unit development, which would retain the significant tree.<\/p>\n
Ms Galer said she did not have much hope for what would replace the house.<\/p>\n
“We are confident that what replaces it will be nowhere near the design quality this one was.<\/p>\n
“Bland shoebox apartments. The designs are available as a building consent has been lodged.”<\/p>\n
Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker said while the issues were difficult with this particular building, as it was technically not heritage-listed, “we really need to think about prevention as the best cure to saving our heritage buildings and getting those listings done”.<\/p>\n
“We tried to do that last year – I think we listed a huge amount of buildings or put them on the district plan – but the challenge is that we can\u2019t save everyone and with the RMA changes, it\u2019s going to be very difficult as well.”<\/p>\n
Ms Barker said the upcoming changes to the RMA could have significant impact on future heritage decisions.<\/p>\n
“We just had an RMA briefing last week and I am beyond concerned at what may happen to historic heritage under the new RMA.”<\/p>\n
Elim Group has been contacted for comment.<\/p>\n