Promise on heritage houses bites the dust

One of 17 heritage homes due for demolition, 9 Vine Street St Mary's Bay. Picture / Martin Sykes

Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard's promise to preserve heritage villas and bungalows is looking shaky, with the news that council officers have not turned down any demolition applications since sweeping new rules came into force last May.

A Weekend Herald investigation has found that nine out of 17 applications have been approved. Seven are on hold awaiting more information or still being processed.

One applicant dropped plans to demolish a 1924 bungalow backing on to Cornwall Park as part of a subdivision after the new changes were introduced. So far, only celebrity couple Adam Parore and Sally Ridge have been put through the hoops of public notification and a public hearing.

Another application has had limited notification. The public has had no say on the other 15 applications.

In three cases, heritage adviser Mike Watson recommended the houses were capable of being restored but was overruled by more senior officers with no specialist heritage training, who claimed the houses were ordinary examples of their type or substantially altered.

Mr Hubbard has defended the new regime, saying the number of demolished homes has fallen.

Council figures show demolition consents in heritage suburbs have dropped from about 30 in the previous two years to nine since May.

But heritage campaigners have expressed outrage. Parnell Heritage chairman Rendell McIntosh said it was a national disgrace and questioned why the new rules were taking so long to come into full force.

Ted Leng, of the Herne Bay Peninsula Club that lobbied for change to stop the loss of villas, said Mr Hubbard's "line in the sand" promise last year to preserve the city's historic homes sounded like a joke now.

"The tide has come in and washed it away."

Mr Hubbard had the right intentions but was not strong enough to stand up to officers who were "not even trying to save anything".

Mr Hubbard strongly defended the policy and the actions of council staff, saying he was "110 per cent happy" with what had happened since May.

He said the number of applications to demolish houses had gone from a "torrent to a trickle".

"All the evidence suggests [the new rules] are working ... and we are getting the desired outcomes."

Mr Hubbard said the council had been constrained by issues of natural justice during the transition period between introducing the rules and having them written into the district plan. He had no reason to doubt officers' judgment.

In the case of Adam Parore and Sally Ridge, planning commissioners said the new rules carried little legal weight at this stage and granted consent for demolition of their 100-year-old transitional villa in Freemans Bay.

A visit to many of the 17 houses on the demolition list showed a variety of styles, street appeal and condition from the outside.

The bay front villa at 9 Vine St in St Marys Bay has a lot of street appeal. Other houses, such as the two villas at 36 Cromwell St in Mt Eden and 5-7 Esplanade Rd in Mt Eden and a two-storey arts and crafts home at Ferryhill Rd in Epsom, look tired but capable of renovation.

What the mayor said

May 2005
"The message I give you today, very clearly with crystal clarity is that we are drawing a line in the sand about heritage protection. We are delivering on promises made [at the 2004 local body elections] that we are deadly serious about protecting the villas, the bungalows, the historic nature of Auckland and announcing measures that will give the protection that very clearly the people of Auckland want and desire. I give you the very clear message as Mayor of Auckland that the day of the unannounced bulldozer is gone. Our children's children will thank us for this day."

April 2006
"I'm 110 per cent happy with what has happened. All the evidence suggests [the rules] are working and under control and we are getting the desired outcomes. We have drawn the line in the sand. I can front up to the voters of Auckland and say I have delivered on the promise."

The demolition list

Residential 1
(Small sections, covers large areas of Ponsonby, Grey Lynn, St Marys Bay, Freemans Bay and Mt Eden.)

41 Arthur St, Freemans Bay Owner: Adam Parore & Sally Ridge. Features: 2-storey, 100-year-old transitional villa. Status: Demolition approved March 2006 by planning commissioners after being publicly notified.

36 Cromwell St, Mt Eden Owner: Ronald Jamieson Features: Derelict, 3-bedroom villa. Status: On hold for more information. Non-notified.

4 Turakina St, Grey Lynn Owner: N. Olissoff. Features: 1922 villa, later changed to a California Bungalow. Fire damaged. Status: Demolished. Approval granted October 2005. Non-notified. 9 Vine St, St Marys Bay Owner: K & T McLean. Features: Early 1900s square front villa. Status: Demolition approved March 2006. Non-notified.

9 Yarborough St, Herne Bay Owner: Stephen Langton. Features: 1929 Californian Bungalow. Status: On hold for more information. Non-notified. 5-7 Esplanade Rd, Mt Eden Owner: Princess Investments Ltd. Features: Villa with wrap-around verandah. Moved onto site. Status: Still being processed. Non-notified.

Residential 2
(large sections, applies mostly in Mt Albert, Herne Bay, Epsom, One Tree Hill, Parnell, Remuera, Kohimarama, Mission Bay and St Heliers.)

29 Marine Parade, Herne BayOwner: Chris Cook.Features: 2-storey, 100-year-old villa with later additions.Status: Demolished in March 2006. Non-notified.

1 Annan St, Herne BayOwner: Brian Paul and Janet Keene.Features: Bungalow with significant alterations.Status: Still being processed. Limited notification.

34 Awatea Rd, Parnell Owner: Graeme Cameron. Features: Brick and tile bungalow. Status: On hold for more information. Non-notified.

19 Burwood Cres, Remuera Owner: Terry Jarvis. Features: 2-storey wood and tile home built in 1918 with 1920s addition by well-known American architect Roy Lippincott. Status: Demolition approved February 2006. Non-notified.

23 Burwood Cres, Remuera Owner: Scott Holyoake Features: 1939, two-storey English arts and crafts cottage movement home. Status: Demolition approved September 2005. Non-notified. Reasons given: Council planner Bryce Powell overruled Mr Watson who said the house was in "good repair and capable of rehabilitation".

46 Codrington Cres, Mission Bay Owner: Michael Davies. Features: 1935 weatherboard bungalow. Status. Removed to another site. Non-notified. 126 Wheturangi Rd, Greenlane Owner: John Rogers. Features: 1924 single-storey weatherboard bungalow. Status: First lodged plans to demolish bungalow as part of a subdivision. Decided to keep bungalow after new heritage protection rules introduced. Non-notified.

15 Ferryhill Rd, Epsom Owner: Philip Beattie. Features: 2 storey arts and crafts home. Status: On hold for more information. Non-notified. 282 Jervois Rd, Herne Bay Owner: Gregory Simon Features: Early 1900s square front single-storey villa with later additions. Status. Demolished. Non-notified.

48 Raurenga Ave, Royal Oak Owner: Dawes Family Trust. Features: Single-storey bungalow. Status: Demolition approved October 2005. Non-notified.

18 Ronaki Rd, Mission Bay Owner: Onehunga Trustee Company. Features: 1935 2-storey English-style arts and crafts house. Status: On hold. Non-notified.