The proposed demolition/relocation of a home in Banglaow that had previously been classified as voluntary heritage-listed by Council has sparked concerns from residents.
Development Application (DA) 10.2024.474.1 at 7 Leslie Street, Bangalow recently closed for exhibition on Council’s website.
While the proposal, as listed by Council, is to demolish the circa 120-year-old home, documents in the DA suggest it may be relocated.
Existing and evolving streetscape
Two, two storey dwellings with swimming pools are proposed, with the applicant’s consultant arguing the heritage values are in keeping with ‘the existing and evolving streetscape character’, as similar ‘new dwellings are under construction, with others being recently approved’.
According to a 2021 Heritage Assessment, the home was built by plumber William Jarret and its historical significance included it being a ‘substantial Federation style timber dwelling built for a person of some means’.
It also has connections to Robert Campbell’s holdings, ‘a prominent businessman of the town’, and the Banglaow Newell family.
The current DA’s Heritage Impact Statement says, ‘The site was nominated by the previous owners for inclusion into a planning proposal to include additional heritage items within the Shire, however, this was done after they had sold the property, but just before settlement. The new landowner was never notified about the inclusion within the planning proposal, and it was subsequently removed from the planning proposal at the June 27 Council meeting this year [2024]’.
Removing heritage listing
As part of the request to have the heritage listing removed, the new owners told Council in March 2024 that the previous owner sold them the home ‘without informing us of any heritage application, did not disclose all information, and sold to us under false pretences’.
Yet the previous owner, Janne Coleman, denies the claim she personally lodged the heritage application and says she only made an application. She told The Echo, ‘At no stage did I take the heritage application any further. The author, Deborah Wray (Council’s heritage consultant), told me at the time that when I received the assessment, it was up to me to take it to the NSW Heritage Council. This I did not do, as nine months later we decided to sell. I was given no indication that the assessment would lead to the property being on a BSC heritage list’.
She says she bought from the original owners’ relatives in 1996 and lived there happily for 25 years.
House reluctantly sold
‘We reluctantly sold our house because of [encroaching] surrounding development. We were being affected by water flows from neighbouring property. The landowner refused to acknowledge the problem. Council staff came to visit, but didn’t look under the house – they weren’t interested’.
The Echo provided Ms Coleman’s statement to Council staff and asked for comment. They replied, ‘7 Leslie Street is currently identified as a contributory item (heritage item) in the Bangalow Heritage Conservation Area under Byron Local Environmental Plan 2014. This listing remains a matter for consideration under clause 5.10 LEP 2014 for any development application. It is likely to be reported to Council for determination at the appropriate time, no timeframe can be given on this at this time.’
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