Grand to gross: Ugly makeover of Brisbane landmark

Residents are aghast at units destined to replace a grand home built by the Shingle Inn founders. BEFORE AND AFTER IMAGES

A grand riverfront home built by the founders of Westons Biscuits and the Shingle Inn teahouses will be replaced with a modern unit block, outraging heritage lovers and neighbours.

Linden Lea, the last Tudor-style home in Toowong in Brisbane’s inner west, was demolished in March sparking widespread anger.

Brisbane City Council said at the time that a demolition application was approved at the 40 Archer St site before its new, stricter character laws were gazetted.

But a lobby group said it was shocking that the owner was proposing to replace the home with a modernist unit project.

“Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon regarded her (Linden Lea) as meeting cultural heritage criteria,’’ Queensland Residents Group spokeswoman Freya Robertson said.

“Queensland is looking closely at her replacement, in a protected strip of pre-war character houses.

“So far, what is proposed looks like a commercial office building.

“Losing Linden Lea is like knocking the front tooth out of a smile — she was complemented by the defining, majestic character houses who are her neighbours.

“Her replacement is worlds apart from the guide in the traditional building character overlay map.

“If Linden Lea’s replacement does not comply with the code, then Queensland will ask what is the point of the code?

“This will leave the code ineffective and open to derision.

“If this is the case, it is time for an inquiry into the planning legislation.’’

City Planning Chairwoman, Krista Adams, said the application was currently under assessment.

“Council’s independent planning office will assess the application against the requirements of the City Plan,’’ Cr Adams said.

Last year, Council officers wrote to Town Planning Alliance, the planner acting for owner Klinkert Investments, to raise concerns about how the proposed building would “interface with the streetscape’’.

TPA responded that it had made changes to the design to reflect Council’s concerns and had ensured there were setbacks of a minimum of 3m.

It considered the project to be compliant with the Auchenflower-Toowong Neighbourhood Plan.

Neighbour Ann Kingston-Kerr and Freya Robertson in front of Linden Lea just before it was demolished.

“Further refinements have been undertaken to the feature podium structure to ensure it reflects a bulk and scale consistent with the existing streetscape,’’ TPA said in the development application.

“Additionally, it is noted further planting areas are now provided within the front boundary

setback as means of improving the site’s interface with the streetscape.

“The revised front boundary setback assimilates the development with those setbacks found in the area.’’

The podium height had been reduced, a landscaped buffer would be created at the northern frontage, front boundary balconies had been removed, cascading plants would be included on the podium level to soften it and more concrete breeze blocks added to reduce bulk.

“A built form that is proportionate the site area and frontage width with a compliant height

and number of storeys, as such, is aligned to community expectations about the number

of storeys to be built,’’ TPA said.

“The building is sited to enable existing and future buildings to be well separated from each

other and to avoid affecting the development of an adjoining site.’’

Heavy machinery on the site of Linden Lea in March.

Full details of the proposal can be viewed at Council’s online DA portal developmenti. Search for application A005505915.

Neighbours lodged a heritage application in February in a last-ditch bid to save Linden Lea.

They also sought a meeting with the Department of Environment Deputy Director-General in a bid to get a stop work order, but the demolition went ahead.

Ms Robertson said they obtained legal advice from a Queen’s Counsel that Ms Scanlon had the power to issue a 60-day stop order, even without a current heritage listing.

But Ms Robertson said they were left frustrated and disappointed when Ms Scanlon wrote to them on March 1 to say the Queensland Heritage Act could not stop authorised development.

“What is the point of having a Queensland Heritage Act if we are not protecting these places?’’ she said.

Artist's impression of the apartments to be built at 40 Archer St.

The Webster family built the first of the famous Shingle Inn teahouses a year before commissioning prominent architect Horace Driver to design Linden Lea.

The current owners fought Council for four years after it knocked back their original development application.

They applied for a full demolition in June, 2017 which was refused six weeks later by Council.

In September that year they lodged an appeal with the Planning and Environment Court and in April, 2019 the court overturned Council’s refusal and approved demolition.

The matter “slipped through’’ tougher laws aimed at protecting character houses because the demolition application was made just after the law was changed, and before it formally came into effect.

Neighbour John Scott, who lodged the Heritage register application, said in his application that Linden Lea was a rare example of inter-war Old English architecture (Tudor or Elizabethan architecture).

“It forms part of a strip of quaint character houses on the river side of Archer St,’’ he said.

St Briavels will be moved, renovated and a unit tower built on its grounds as part of a separate development project.

“Archer St is home to St Briavels, another inter-war house which has been heritage listed by Council as a Local Heritage Place.’’

Mr Scott said James Webster, part of the renowned Websters biscuit family, commissioned Mr Driver in 1937 to design Linden Lea.

“The Webster family had a long and dedicated appreciation for the Old English style of architecture, modelling their private residences and their teahouses, including the Shingle Inn, in this style,’’ he said.

David Webster built the original Shingle Inn the previous year, 1936, in Edward St. It is now a chain of cafes around Brisbane.