New measures to protect city's heritage buildings

Auckland City Council has introduced two new measures to the district plan that will better protect the character and heritage of the city.

The first makes it a requirement to get resource consent for the demolition or removal of pre-1940s buildings in the area around Queen Street Valley and Karangahape Road. This includes the areas around High, Lorne, O'Connell and Fort streets. New applications for the removal or demolition of buildings constructed prior to 1 January 1940 will be assessed against a number of criteria, including the character of the building and the street, and the design of any replacement building.

The second introduces development guidelines to protect the qualities of six town centres - Eden Valley (Dominion Road), Ellerslie, Grey Lynn (Surrey Crescent), Kingsland, Upper Symonds Street and West Lynn (Richmond Road).

"These plan changes allow us to consider the distinctive character of these areas and the way in which older buildings contribute to that character," says Councillor Graeme Mulholland, deputy chairperson of the City Development Committee. "The focus will be on retaining existing buildings, or replacing them with well-designed buildings that are appropriate for these particular locations."