Demolition

Demolition of a building

It is policy that:

• The demolition of a non-contributory place will generally be permitted.
• Full demolition of significant or contributory buildings will not generally be permitted. 
• Partial demolition in the case of significant buildings, and of significant elements or the front or principal part of contributory buildings will not generally be permitted.
• Encourage adaptive reuse of a heritage place as an alternative to demolition. 
• The poor structural or aesthetic condition of a significant or contributory building will not be considered justification for permitting demolition.
• A demolition permit will not be granted until the proposed replacement building or works have been approved.

Front or principal part of a building 

The front or principal part of a building is generally considered to be the front two rooms in depth, complete with the structure and cladding to the roof; or that part of the building associated with the primary roof form, whichever is the greater. For residential buildings this is generally 8-10 metres in depth.

For most non-residential buildings, the front or principal part is generally considered to be one full structural bay in depth complete with the structure and cladding to the roof or generally 8-10 metres in depth. For corner sites, the front or principal part of a building includes the side street elevation. For sites with more than one street frontage, the front or principal part of a building may relate to each street frontage.

Figure 1: Demolition

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Retention of three-dimensional form

It is policy to:

• Encourage the retention of the three-dimensional form regardless of whether it is visible whilst discouraging facadism.

Facadism

The retention of the exterior face/faces of a building without the three-dimensional built form providing for its / their structural support and understanding of its function.

Figure 2: Retention of three-dimensional form

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Demolition of fences and outbuildings

It is policy to:

• Preserve fences and outbuildings that contribute to the significance of the heritage place.

Figure 3: Demolition of fences and outbuildings

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Decision guidelines

Before deciding on an application for full or partial demolition, the responsible authority will consider, as relevant:

• The assessed significance of the heritage place or building.
• The character and appearance of the proposed building or works and their effect on the historic, social and architectural values of the heritage place, and the street.
• The significance of the fabric or part of the building, and the degree to which it contributes to its three-dimensional form, regardless of whether it is visible.
• Whether the demolition or removal of any part of the building contributes to the long-term conservation of the significant fabric of the building.
• Whether the demolition will adversely affect the conservation of the heritage place. 
• Whether there are any exceptional circumstances.