Page 13: Elyse Knowles and Josh Barker’s South Melbourne McMansion plans slapped down by neighbours

Elyse Knowles and Josh Barker have demolished relationships with their South Melbourne neighbours, with claims Josh doorknocked objectors to coerce them into withdrawing complaints over their McMansion.

They’ve done their block.

Angry South Melbourne residents have told Elyse Knowles and partner Josh Barker to put their plans to develop a house in their “modest working class” street where the sun don’t shine.

The glamour Blockheads turned property developers bought 13 Mountain St, South Melbourne last year as a doer-upper for just over $1 million.

Elyse Knowles and Josh Barker have ticked off neighbours in the South Melbourne street where they planned to renovate.

A planning permit was submitted to Port Phillip Council in March for the partial demolition of the house and for a basement, rooftop terrace and garden to be added.

Not on our block, said residents who filed 18 objections, declaring they don’t want no mega-McMansion on their street.

Myer model Knowles and tradie Barker were The Block winners in 2017, taking home $547,000 after selling their home to Dave Hughes on the Nine reality series.

But one neighbour in Mountain St, who did not want to be named, told Page 13 that the plans were not only “ridiculous”, but “invasive.”

“This is our home, but they just want to develop and leave us with the deluge,” the angry objector complained.

“These are modest homes in what was traditionally a modest working-class area, with working-class cottages. Now they are trying to make it into some ridiculously oversized thing. Who needs three toilets on one floor? It’s excessive.”

Barker and Knowles after winning The Block. Picture: Channel 9

The couple also purchased a house in O’Grady Street in Albert Park.

Objectors say Blockhead Josh Barker knocked on the doors to persuade them to withdraw.

“He did a door knock and I think one of the objectors may have withdrawn, it’s not illegal but it’s not appropriate.

“It’s not a nice way to live and it’s our home. We appreciate people want to fix their homes and improve it, but they want to make it some big suburban house in an inner-city block.”

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Port Phillip Council mayor Dick Gross told Page 13 there were 18 objections and an amended application was going to be lodged.

Page 13 is waiting to hear back from Knowles and Barker, who seem to have vanished along with their McMansion dreams.