FOUR heritage-listed buildings on Shore St East in Cleveland are set to be demolished after Redland City Council accepted expert advice that their structural condition left no practical option for restoration.
The 8-2 decision was made after 244 public submissions, with many residents seeking the buildings’ retention because of their place in Cleveland’s history.
Cr Peter Mitchell said he had called the application in for determination by the full Council due to the level of public interest.
He said the public meeting gave residents the chance to see how Council had assessed the controversial proposal, rather than having it decided under delegated authority.
“These buildings are on our local heritage register,” Cr Mitchell said.
“I certainly knew that it would be in the public interest to have this decided in public.”
Council officer Mike Anderson said the planning scheme began with a presumption that locally heritage-listed places should be retained.
But he said demolition could be considered when it had been demonstrated a building was structurally unsound and was not reasonably capable of being made sound.
The application was supported by structural reports and repair-cost assessments, which were independently reviewed for Council by heritage and engineering specialists.
Mr Anderson said the outside experts also inspected the properties internally before reaching their conclusions.
“On balance, we concluded basically that the condition of the properties in this instance was beyond what could reasonably be considered to be retained,” he said.
Instead of restoration, Council’s approval requires an archival recording of the buildings before demolition.
The record is to include photographs, plans, descriptions of the properties’ heritage significance and the reasons for Council’s decision.
It will be lodged with Council’s local history collection.
Cr Paul Bishop said the outcome would be difficult for residents who valued the properties and their contribution to Cleveland’s heritage trail.
He said the buildings had historical significance and had also been associated with Shore Studios, but later specialist advice had made clear that retaining or moving them was not supported.
“Heritage is very important to our community,” Cr Bishop said.
“The most important thing for heritage properties is to have an owner who understands and cares for that place and makes it a priority that they continue to maintain … the structural integrity of a place.”
He said the archival material could help ensure the buildings’ story remained available to future generations, with further items of historical significance also able to be added to the collection.
Cr Mitchell said the decision would “come as a blow” to parts of the community but said the process had tested Council’s assessment, heritage and compliance systems.
“The community can see the depth of the internal and external expert assessments that went in, and ultimately they aligned,” he said.
He said councillors had also discussed whether further assistance or compliance measures may be needed in future to better protect heritage values.
Cr Paul Gollé and Acting Mayor Julie Talty voted against the demolition approval.
