Mitcham’s planning panel supports plan to knock down $3.2 million home to build grand chateau
An Adelaide entrepreneur’s plan to knock down a $3.2m mansion and replace it with a luxurious French chateau is a step closer after Mitcham Council gave it the green light — but there’s still one major hurdle left.
- More pictures of Mr Teng’s dream home, and the one he’ll demolish
- Nicho Teng’s company is building a $300m city development
- He founded one of SA’s fastest-growing companies
Multi-millionaire Nicho Teng’s plan to knock down a resort-style property to build his luxury French chateau is a step closer after getting the go-ahead from Mitcham Council.
The Messenger revealed this week that Mr Teng, who migrated to Australia from China in 2011, wanted to knock down the house at 48 Carrick Hill Drive, Mitcham, and replace it with a grand French Provincial style mansion.
Mr Teng, 32, bought the 7500sq m property formerly owned by bankrupt winemaker Andrew Garrett for $3.2 million last year.
Last night, and over the objections of local residents, Mitcham’s Council Assessment Panel voted in support of Mr Teng’s proposal.
The panel’s presiding member, David Billington, said the planned house was for someone “who could afford it” and that there was “no shame in that”.
Independent member Steven Hopper said the proposed landscaping was “highly commendable” but noted the proposal would cause “a lot of disruption for the local residents”.
Jacki Freeman, who lives opposite the property with her husband John, read a deputation at the meeting saying the proposed house would “dominate the hillside and was not complaint”.
Her mother and next door neighbour, Christine Heard, said she was concerned it could take five years to complete the development.
Mrs Freeman said they would challenge the decision to approve the development.
The proposal involves the total demolition of the house completed less than 15 years ago, as well as a magnificent pool and entertainment area that was finalised just before the sale of the property in April, 2018.
Mr Teng, managing director of the Chinese-backed development and investment group Greaton that has invested more than $1.3 billion in projects Australia-wide, did not attend the meeting at the Mitcham council chambers.
He was represented by Frank Barone, director of urban planning group Future Urban, and Alex Pritchard, an architect with the Galvin Group, Adelaide’s leading luxury home designers.
Mr Barone said under the proposal, Mr Teng would have 12 months to commence building and three years to complete, but that schedule estimates were to finish within 18 months.
Mr Pritchard said 500 trees and hedges had already been planted around the property, that was overlooked by the public access Yurrebilla Trail, to address Mr Teng’s privacy concerns.
Most of the panel’s 45-minute debate centred on what could be done about a State heritage-listed water tank on the property, that had no public access.
Cr Andrew Tilley said preservation of the tank, built in the 1870s that holds 300,000 gallons of water, was “very sensitive to the City of Mitcham”.
The panel agreed to rely on the “goodwill of the owner” rather than include a provision about the tank in the approval.
Mr Teng’s plan is still subject to agreement by the State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP).