Extra advice sought by City of Albany recommends demolition of Norman House not be supported

An independent heritage impact statement and comments from the City of Albany’s heritage adviser have both strongly recommended the demolition of Norman House not be endorsed.

The two documents are attached to the agenda for next week’s Regional Joint Development Assessment Panel meeting, where the mixed housing development proposed by Advance Housing Limited is due to be assessed.

Sections of the community raised concern about the potential impact on built heritage, including the proposed demolition of Norman House, within the development application, which led to the city seeking extra advice.

A 60-page heritage impact statement (HIS) prepared by Urbis looks at the impact on Norman House and the other heritage elements potentially impacted by the proposal.

It concludes that proposed development would have “major irreversible negative impact” due to the demolition of Norman House and because a new building would encroach on the “setting around Cheyne’s Stables and Outbuilding and Oak Tree”.

“While the Victorian Georgian-style building is partly concealed behind an intrusive double storey veranda, Norman House remains largely intact with six rooms over two floors in double-storey rendered granite walls which are original,” the Urbis HIS states.

“Interiors have a moderate level of authenticity, which can be enhanced with removal of intrusive fit-out such as bathrooms and ensuites.

“There are many intact elements of exceptional significance, such as the front door, internal doors, multi-light windows with timber shutters and panelling, timber floors, skirtings, architraves and plaster and lath ceilings.”

It goes on to state the proposed demolition would have negative impacts on the “historic, aesthetic and social values as a landmark, and the irreversible loss of fabric is not ameliorated with interpretation”.

“The proposed development is not recommended for approval from a heritage perspective, and it is recommended that the applicant be asked to change the development application to adaptively reuse Norman House with heritage works to restore the original exterior of the building,” it states.

Comments provided to the city by its heritage adviser Helen Munt offered in a similar conclusion.

She states that having reviewed the original heritage impact statement, prepared by H+H Architects, “the proposed demolition of Norman House . . . cannot be supported in the context of its cultural heritage significance and statutory listing”.

She goes on to say the the case presented for the demolition of Norman House in the HIS “often come across as contradictory, reflect a questionable application and interpretation of current heritage principles and practice and (are) not always well supported by clear and consistent evidence or argument”.

The HIS prepared by H+H Architects, which was submitted along with the development application in August, concluded the demolition of Norman House would have “significant negative impacts on the authenticity of the place, as well as some impacts on its historic, social and aesthetic values”.

It then went on to suggest ways to mitigate negative heritage impacts “if demolition is considered acceptable for the economic, social and environmental factors outlined by the proponent”.