KEY POINTS:
One of Mission Bay's most upmarket streets is set to lose two English-style heritage homes, much to the disappointment of neighbours.
Demolition consents have been granted by the Auckland City Council for the properties at 18 and 26 Ronaki Rd.
The homes, which sit on large sites with stunning harbour views, are valued at $2.3 million and $4.3 million respectively.
They are in the Residential 2 zone, which was the subject of controversy this month when three Remuera lawyers nearly convinced the council to relax demolition controls affecting 7600 homes in the zone.
Local resident William Wilson said 26 Ronaki Rd had a lovely classic style.
"I'm disappointed that some of these lovely old places get demolished hand over fist just for the sake of spending a hell of a lot of money and putting up a concrete jungle."
Another resident, who did not want to be named, said 26 Ronaki Rd was probably the most beautiful house in the street.
The owner of 26 Ronaki Rd, Philip Roy, said that when he bought the house about eight years ago he had no intention of demolishing it.
But as time went by it became apparent it was not salvageable and the cost of fixing it would be mammoth. Although the facade of the house might appear original to the untrained eye, it was not. The house had undergone major changes and was in very bad condition.
Mr Roy said he was still deciding on what to build, saying he had no plans for anything super modern, just a "typical family home".
Under new rules introduced in 2005 protecting pre-1940 homes in Residential 2 heritage suburbs, Mr Roy and the other owner applied to the council for resource consent to demolish their homes. Previously, they could have demolished the homes as of right.
In the case of 18 Ronaki Rd, a 1935 two-level English cottage-styled house, council officers said the new rules were early in the statutory process and little weight could be given to them. They found "there will be no more than minor adverse character effects from the proposal" and granted consent.
In the case of Mr Roy's house, officers said the demolition "will not lessen the heritage value of the city's special character areas as the house has been substantially reconstructed since 1940 and little of the original cottage remains".
Planner Brian Putt, who has been acting for the owner of No 18, the Onehunga Trustee Company, said the house was very weather-beaten with a lot of rotten timber on the seaward side. He believed the owners planned to remove the house rather than demolish it.
