Heritage homes in line for safety from bulldozer

Dick Hubbard

Sweeping changes affecting 16,300 Auckland character homes were proposed yesterday by the city's mayor, Dick Hubbard, and Action Hobson councillor Christine Caughey.

Mr Hubbard said the proposed changes to the district plan would mean an "end to the days of people waking up and finding the bulldozers have gone into the house next door".

"The demolition or removal of any building constructed before 1940 in our residential 1 and 2 zones will now require a resource consent.

"This means the council will look at the structure and condition of any building in the zone, review it to see if it is capable of being restored or renovated and look at its contribution to the overall street.

"Resource consent under the proposed plan will be declined if the proposals fail to meet these criteria.

"Written approvals from neighbours will be required for demolition. Currently houses can be demolished without resource consent."

Residential 1 (8718 houses) is a zone applied mainly to Victorian and Edwardian houses on small sections; Residential 2 (7598 houses) applies mainly to Victorian and Edwardian houses on large sections.

Other proposed changes include relaxing landscaping controls to allow more off-street parking and lowering fence heights.