Seymour Rd home torn down as ‘broken planning laws’ fail to protect historic building
This 129-year-old Elsternwick home has been bulldozed — just months after its owners splashed $3.1 million on it — with angry neighbours saying “broken planning laws” are to blame. And the heartbreaking moment has been captured on video.
Inner South
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A historic home in Elsternwick has been hit with the wrecking ball.
The 129-year-old Seymour Rd home is being demolished today despite residents banding together to try and save it.
A petition calling for it to be saved notched up more than 2000 signatures in a matter of days.
But the owners are tearing it down despite splashing $3.1 million on the freshly renovated four-bedroom Edwardian home last December.
The home was not protected by a heritage overlay. Plans for a new development on the site have not yet been lodged with Glen Eira Council.
The owners of the property had a builder’s permit allowing them to demolish the period gem.
Neighbour Sam Dugdale, who started the petition, told the Leader “broken planning laws” meant residents were powerless to do anything.
“Because the home didn’t have heritage protection (the owners) didn’t need to go through council to get a permit,” Ms Dugdale said.
“There is no mechanism to appeal against a builder’s permit so all we can do is stand around and watch it be destroyed.”
“That’s years and years of history just gone.”
Ms Dugdale said she feared hundreds of unprotected period homes across Melbourne could be at risk of demolition.
“I’m sure this is just one example of something that’s happening all over Melbourne,” she said.
“I feel like I’ve lifted the scab off a really ugly wound for a lot of people — people are just livid by this.”
Ms Dugdale called on the council to conduct a new municipal-wide heritage assessment to prevent other historic homes meeting a similar fate in the future.
“At the very least they have to do that,” she said.
“I’m not opposed to development, I don’t think we have to keep everything but this is just nuts — it’s gone too far.”
Caulfield state Liberal MP David Southwick said this was “another example of (Victoria’s) broken planning laws”.
“This is a fully renovated original 1890 Edwardian three-bedroom brick home in a string of original homes, and it is about to be demolished,” the post said.
“Seymour Rd is not in a heritage overlay area, so these homes have no protection. Owners don’t even need council approval to demolish, only a builder’s permit.
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“Elsternwick locals are sick of seeing overdevelopment in their neighbourhood and a lack of clear planning controls under Daniel Andrews.
“The Minister’s failure to intervene or to provide appropriate heritage protection for our suburbs has now seen another beautiful Elsternwick home go under the bulldozer.”
A spokeswoman for Mr Wynne said there had been no request made to the Minister for interim heritage controls.
“Councils are responsible for ensuring their local planning schemes are up-to-date to protect sites with local heritage significance through the application of the heritage overlay,” she said.
The Leader understands an interim order was sought from the Heritage Council and Heritage Victoria but it was rejected because there wasn’t enought evidence provided to support a claim for protection at a state level.
Glen Eira Council has been contacted for comment.