House demolition fires heritage row

THE proposed demolition of a shabby, but historically significant East Toowoomba house has raised a dispute over the protection character homes deserve.

Toowoomba father Stewart Gordon bought the pre-Second World War property at 18CavellSt last year with plans to replace it with a new, colonial-style home in keeping with the streetscape.

He never envisaged the hurdles he would run into along the way.

Unbeknownst to him, the house was included on council's list as a "neighbourhood character place".

Council planning officers recommended the demolition be refused - a decision overturned by council's Development Assessment Panel.

The majority of neighbours have seen blueprints of the home Mr Gordon plans to build and want the run-down cottage gone.

However, National Trust of Queensland spokeswoman Stephanie Keays said it would set a dangerous precedent.

"The fact council has gone against its own officers' advice and recommended it be demolished means we don't have any certainty over those character houses being protected," she said.

Mr Gordon enlisted REID Consulting Engineers to investigate the structure's integrity, who found it was "extremely unlikely that this building can be rectified to a satisfactory standard in an economical manner".

The rectification costs were put at $142,800.

Originally posted here:
House demolition fires heritage row