Shelter from demolition ball extended

St Kevin's Arcade on Karangahape Rd gets more protection from the new rules. Picture / Richard Robinson

New rules making it harder to demolish old buildings in central Auckland have been extended to 83 sites, including properties around St Patrick's Square and the Victoria brick shops on the corner of Victoria and Hobson Sts.

In September, the council took the first step to provide greater protection for 140 buildings in the Queen St valley and Karangahape Rd using a 1940 cut-off point.

Until now, demolition controls have been limited to scheduled heritage buildings and properties in conservation areas such as Princes St. The rules do not apply to buildings that already have a demolition consent.

Under the new rules, before issuing a demolition consent the council will assess how a building fits into the character of an area or contributes to a group of similar buildings.

On the flip side, it will give leeway to owners whose properties are too costly to restore.

Replacement buildings will be expected to reflect the character of the area and developers will be encouraged to submit plans to the Urban Design Panel.

The chairwoman of the environment, heritage and urban form committee, Christine Caughey, said the new rules were not solely about the preservation of the buildings but about managing change appropriately.

"We need to encourage the protection and retention of their character values and ensure any upgrade or replacement building is well designed and maintains or enhances the character values of the area," she said.

Heritage campaigner Allan Matson said the extension of the rules was another positive step but he wanted to see the council assess the heritage value of the buildings concerned to determine if they warranted scheduling in the district plan.

Latest protected buildings

* Buildings on Anzac Ave north of Short St.
* Buildings on northern side of Emily Place.
* Endeans Building, 2 Queen St.
* Pre-World War II buildings, Wolfe St.
* St Patrick's Square and buildings fronting Albert St.
* Building, corner Wyndham and Federal Sts.
* Buildings, corner of Kingston and Albert Sts.
* Martha's Corner, corner of Albert and Victoria Sts.
* Buildings on Victoria St between Albert St and Durham Lane.
* Two buildings, southern corner of Victoria and Federal Sts.
* Les Mills administration building, corner Victoria and Graham Sts.
* Victorian brick shops, corner Victoria and Hobson Sts.
* Drake St block, south of Victoria Park Market.
* Town Hall shops, Queen St.
* Buildings, southern end of Myers Park.