Heritage advocates are “devastated” over plans to demolish a historic home in central Dunedin to make way for a new housing development despite community opposition.
The 103-year-old home at 284 Stuart St, designed by architect Edmund Anscombe, will be torn down to make way for an apartment complex.
Southern Heritage Trust chairperson Jo Galer told 1News the demolition would leave a “glaring hole” in the landscape.
“It is actually a bit of a fiasco that a protected tree on the property was protected… and the property itself wasn’t,” she said.
Close to 100 submissions opposed the original proposal, mainly focused on the house.
When the developers amended their plan to retain the protected tree, under council rules there was no reason to notify the public and so consent was granted.
Galer told 1News the council’s planning laws “are not fit for purpose”.
“That’s quite obvious when we have around 100 submitters who weren’t able to give their point of view to the council at a hearing on this property.”
She said she would like to see “greater protections put in place” to safeguard other heritage buildings across the city.
“Heritage is our identity and it’s our main point of difference in New Zealand and we really do need to protect it,” Galer said.
“We can’t waste any time.”
Dunedin City councillor Sophie Barker said plans to demolish the building was “truly gutting”.
“I hate that our rules allow heritage buildings to get lost like this,” Barker said.
“Last year we authorised a heritage action plan and that’s going to be able to help us, hopefully, change some of those rules and actually get some action on saving our heritage.”