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An Auckland couple are moving to another country to build houses after a four-year battle to gain building consent left them feeling short-changed.
The Environment Court upheld a decision by Auckland City Council to decline consent for Stuart and Verena Lobb to build a second house on a site at 21 Reimers Ave, across the road from Eden Park.
Councillors say the decision will help protect the heritage of Auckland's inner-city suburbs.
The Lobbs, who live in Remuera, said they would leave New Zealand in a few weeks to "do property elsewhere" because of the the decision. "$100,000 and four years later - it was a waste of time," Mr Lobb said.
It is understood they rented out the first property on the 756m site and wanted to build another rental property.
The court said that permitting a second dwelling in the backyard would compromise the form and pattern of subdivision and associated streetscape in a residential 1 zone. The zone, which includes Mt Eden, Remuera, Ponsonby and Grey Lynn areas, protects the historic character of Auckland's early established residential neighbourhoods.
The rules encourage people to refurbish properties rather than build new ones.
