Residents, local councillor up in arms over townhouse development in Morningside
This historic house believed to be more than 100 years old could be demolished to make way for a new multimillion-dollar townhouse complex south of Brisbane. SEE WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED.
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RESIDENTS are desperately trying to save a historic Brisbane home, believed to be more than 100-years-old, from being demolished to make room for a new multimillion-dollar townhouse complex.
A development application has been lodged with the Brisbane City Council from Wisan Hawa for eight units to be built at 50 Richmond Rd, Morningside.
But council has received more than 30 submissions from angry residents against the proposal with most citing the character and history of the house, which some believe dates back to pre-1911.
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This is despite the application being classified as code assessable, which means residents won’t have any right of appeal against the decision made by council.
If true, the age would save the house from the bulldozers.
One resident’s submission to council opposing the development said he believed the house was built between 1900-1914 and was an important part of Morningside’s history.
“I request that council consider its heritage value to the community and to Brisbane before
making a decision to approve removing/demolishing the house,” the submission said.
However, Brisbane City Councillor and City Planning Chair Krista Adams said there were no protections over the site.
“The application is currently under assessment, but council officers have raised a number of issues with the applicant including building height, communal open space, landscaping, and building design and separation,” she said.
“The application in its current form is not supported.”
Councillor for Morningside (ALP) Kara Cook called for council to investigate the “majestic” house’s heritage.
“There is evidence among the submissions that it is pre-1911 and should be preserved,” Cr Cook said.
“The proposed townhouses also clash with the character of the surrounding houses.
“The LNP have made plenty of noise about the need to save Brisbane backyards from townhouses, and this is a classic example. This is a majestic old house, just the sort we should be preserving.”
“This is also an incredibly busy stretch of road and serious concerns have been raised about safety and traffic implications”.
Cr Adams criticised the way Cr Cook was going about voicing her opinion on the proposal. “Cr Cook’s politicking with City Planning continues as she brings her concerns to the media in the first instance, instead of myself or council officers for proper investigation,” she said.
Anthony Colwell from Insight Planning and Development, who is the town planner for the development, said there was a possibility the house could be relocated instead of demolished.
“The developer is looking at some possible options at the moment,” he said.
Mr Colwell said they were making some changes to the plans after being asked for more information from council.
“We understand some residents are opposing the development because of the house at the site but we are abiding by all the codes,” he said.
He also said the development could add more than 100 jobs to the local economy.