Norwood Payneham & St Peters Council votes to develop heritage strategy

Eastern suburbs residents are one step closer to winning their fight to save historic buildings from demolition as a council votes to implement sweeping changes.

Ongoing concerns about the ability to protect historic buildings in “Australia’s oldest suburban municipality” have seen a council vote to develop sweeping changes to heritage management.

City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters Mayor Robert Bria introduced a motion at Monday night’s council meeting calling for a “Heritage and Action Plan”, making good on his October promise to address rising anxiety about the loss of historic buildings.

The vote, which was passed unanimously, made the cosmopolitan council one of few in South Australia either with or working towards a heritage strategy.

Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council Mayor Robert Bria. Picture: Dan Schultz

Urban planning and environment general manager Carlos Buzzetti said the plan would likely focus on the era of construction, streetscapes and the type of buildings protected, as opposed to being based on subdivisions which are present in Glenelg East, Kensington Gardens and Colonel Light Gardens.

Following the vote Mr Bria said the development of the plan had “become a priority”, and the strategy, once finalised by the middle of the year, would “set out a medium-to-long-term plan to preserve and protect local heritage”.

When the Mayor first addressed residents’ concerns, he said Norwood would be a focus of the plan as tensions simmered about the potential iconic streetscapes in the area would give way to newly built homes.

Development plans lodged for Victoria-era buildings on William St, Norwood prompted a resident driven leaflet drop aimed at drumming up interest to preserve the 120-year-old buildings.

Norwood residents Rowena Dunk, Brigitte Squire, Bridie Squire, Sue Whittington and Fay Patterson outside a William St home. Picture: Renato Castello

Several councillors heralded the motion from Mr Bria and said they hoped it would encourage the state government to further consider the importance of heritage buildings.

“The state government is railroading us on heritage and planning … anything we propose just gets shoved in the bin,” Mayland/Trinity ward councillor Scott Sims said.

St Peters ward councillor Evonne Moore urged the report to attempt to address issues of neglected state heritage properties in the NPSP area following “recent publicity”.

Norwood Residents’ Association member Chris Francis said the move could help allay fears about the “disappearing” heritage of the area.

“I am deeply concerned about the preservation of Norwood’s unique, [and] much-loved … disappearing built heritage,” she said.

“Sadly, while the majority of our buildings can boast historic merit, less than a third of them have any protection under the new Planning and Design Code.

“This framework will help preserve and promote a fragile cultural asset by carefully guiding and prioritising heritage activity.”

Despite the vote, any future heritage listings would have to be endorsed by the state government.

A report on the development of the heritage strategy is expected to be ready by June.