St Heliers houses 'fine'

Supporters of the art deco houses in St Heliers. Photo / Greg Bowker

Three Art Deco houses scheduled to be demolished are in good condition, contrary to the Auckland Council's assertion that they are in disrepair and should be knocked down, a surveyor says.

Members of the Save Our St Heliers group met the council yesterday in a last-ditch attempt to save the Spanish Mission-style houses on Turua St. The council's building control manager had found the buildings were damp, unstable, cracked and sagging.

But chartered building surveyor Phillip Hartley, of Salmon Reed Architects, said they were not in such poor condition that they needed to be demolished.