Heritage building spared demolition as Mount Barker council refuse medical centre development plans

The planned development of a new medical precinct on a prominent Mount Barker road was rejected after hearing opposition from numerous residents.

Artist impression of a proposed medical centre for the corner of Adelaide Rd and Druids Ave at Mount Barker. Picture: BeyondInk

A proposal for a new medical centre in Mount Barker that would have seen the demolition of a heritage listed house has been rejected by the local council.

In a meeting of the Mount Barker District Council’s council assessment panel on Wednesday night, the proposed development was unanimously knocked back, after almost 20 submissions from the public opposing the plan.

Planning documents released in December of last year revealed the proposed medical precinct on the corner of Adelaide Rd and Druids Ave in Mount Barker, which would have seen the demolition of three buildings, including a 1924 local-heritage-listed home at 46 Adelaide Rd.

The home, which was added to the register in 1998, had been classified as “irredeemably beyond repair” by the council’s heritage consultant, having structural issues as a result of the building’s inadequate footing system.

Despite this, the assessment panel decided that the home did not pose a risk to public safety in its present condition, and therefore had no grounds for its removal.

Mount Barker & Districts Residents’ Association chairperson Dianne van Eck said the development had “strong opposition” from the community.

Artist impression of a proposed medical centre for the corner of Adelaide Rd and Druids Ave at Mount Barker. Picture: BeyondInk

“Generally, the people in Mount Barker are very much against demolishing heritage items in the town, and this town centre area has quite a lot of existing heritage buildings,” Ms van Eck told The Advertiser.

According to the Residents’ Association, Mount Barker has over 600 heritage places.

“The district has done a good job at preserving a lot of stuff,” Ms van Eck.

Ms van Eck was one of 19 who made submissions at the meeting opposing the demolition of the home.

An independent heritage planner was also brought in by the community to outline their perspective on why the building should stay, providing the edge that pushed the Resident’s Association’s case over the line.

“That was excellent, to see that the value placed upon his advice.”

A falling-apart, heritage-listed building at 46 Adelaide Rd, Mount Barker, would be demolished under a plan for a medical centre. Picture: Supplied

Photos of the building released in December showed cracks in the walls and ceiling, with plans at the time stating that fixing the issues would strip the home of its heritage value.

If approved by the council, the precinct would have housed suites for Jones Radiology, making it their third Mount Barker location.

A spokeswoman for Jones Radiology told The Advertiser that with the expanding population of Mount Barker, they are looking to expand their locations to offer better services to their customers.

“The demand is growing up there,” the spokeswoman said.

“We are lucky we are already there, so we will continue to provide those services and look for the right space to increase our capacity in Mount Barker.”

The Advertiser understands the decision by the assessment panel can be appealed, or redrawn plans can be submitted for consideration.

Ms van Eck said that the heritage listed building should be included in the precinct, rather than demolished to make way for it.

“If they incorporate the heritage building into their design, they could make a really wonderful feature on that road,” Ms van Eck said.

The company behind the planned redevelopment was contacted by The Advertiser for comment.