Character homes off 'protected' list

A historic villa in Rockwood Place is exempt from controls. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Some beautiful character homes have missed the cut for demolition controls on a heritage list, says Auckland city councillor Glenda Fryer.

She says Aucklanders concerned about keeping the character and heritage properties in some of the city's suburbs should be worried when a list of maps is made public.

"What I see on the maps are whole streets in Mt Eden, Epsom, Herne Bay and Mt Albert with a hotch-potch where some houses will be protected and others are not," she said.

Among the anomalies were two neighbouring houses in Epsom Ave - one with demolition controls, the other without - and a large two-storey Victorian villa in Rockwood Place which was also exempt from controls, she said.

Last night, city development planning manager John Duthie said he was was unable to comment specifically on the three homes, except to say heritage architect Jeremy Salmond had used a set of criteria to survey about 2500properties.

The criteria were whether buildings, individually or as a coherent group, had architectural merit and contributed to the distinctive quality of the streetscape.

Many properties that missed the cut for demolition controls had been extensively altered. Others were built after 1940, Mr Duthie said.

Glenda Fryer said the bar had been set too high with the criteria.

For example, character homes behind high fences or garages could be deemed not to contribute significantly to the streetscape character, she said.

Next month, the council will issue a set of maps to property owners proposing 2942 properties with demolition controls and 898 without demolition controls.

Last Thursday, the council took another step to protect pre-1940 houses in the Residential 2 zone by incorporating new heritage provisions in the district plan.

The only provision still to be completed by the Environment Court is which properties in the Residential 2 zone of Remuera, Epsom, Herne Bay, Mt Albert, St Heliers and Kohimarama will have demolition controls.

Mr Duthie said property owners who were not happy with the proposals would be able to express a view to the court.

The court, which could offer mediation, would make the final determination.

Mr Salmond was hired as part of an agreement brokered by Mayor John Banks in a legal battle that included heritage groups and three Remuera lawyers opposed to the new rules in the Residential 2 zone.

Mr Duthie said the parties to the agreement approved taking two properties in Laurie Ave, Parnell, and Shipherds Ave, Epsom, off the demolition control list.

Mr Salmond said he provided extra advice on why the two properties warranted demolition controls, but the decision was for the council to make.

He did not believe a small number of houses falling through the net was fatal to the integrity of the process.

"There has to be a pragmatic view of this in the end and there has been a lot of give and take on both sides of the equation.

"Those who want to preserve as much as possible and those who want greater freedom."