DA Refused! - City of Sydney Council

You've done the right thing mate.

What if... your neighbour reported you to the council anonymously?
you'll be in deep trouble anyway.

Your neighbour is stupid .

 

attn Chantelle Whearty
I do seek a Town Planner who is 'acceptable' to the staff of the City of Sydney. Very few are. So far Council have not issued formal refusal, so their grounds are unclear. They have sent four pages of objections (from Council Staff, all my neighbours & those Councillors I spoke to have been very supportive).

I attach a photograph of one of my internal fireplaces. Council object that in my submitted 'Heritage Impact Statement' I have not acknowledged the historical significance of this feature, and have insisted that I make no change to this. My proposal makes no change to this 'heritage fireplace'. Even though its crying out to be put out of its misery. My 'Heritage Impact Statement' says only that whatever this features historical significance, there is little left of the original construction.

I am offering a reward for anyone who can adequately explain how I have overlooked the 'Historical Significance' of this fireplace.

Its my view that anyone who holds up an application to install a new kitchen & a toot that actually flushes on the basis of the 'heritage significance' of the fireplace in this photograph probably has some other agenda.

Anyone else who can keep a strait face while seriously looking at this 'heritage fireplace' is welcome to apply for the reward as well.

 

What qualifications do you have that satisfy council's requirements that the heritage study be completed by a heritage architect?

What research did you undertake for the property? A quick google a few similar looking knobs and knockers or trawl through the local history section of the city of Sydney library for all things Redfern?

What type of heritage listing affects your house? Are the council holding you to meeting the requirements of the Burra Charter as the property is an item of significance?

 

reply to Scott who asks;
1. my qualifications
2. my research
3. type of heritage listing & the Burra Charter

1. I am a Chartered Architect with over 30 years of experience. With a few years working for the Heritage Council, and a few years working for other Architects on Heritage buildings both in Sydney & other states.

2. Research? I am sick of Councils that ask for what is a local history essay. And I am sick of paying through the nose for work of about the standard of the average high school student. My terrace is one of a row of identical cookie cutter terraces, built by the same builder at the same time with the same kit of parts. A better known Architect did some similar renovations on an adjacent (but one) just two years ago. I did an FOI application and copied the first two pages of his Heritage Impact Statement word for word. His terrace still had the marble fireplaces, pressed metal ceilings & red cedar joinery that has all been stripped from mine. Hence the low price of mine.

Council have not asked me (yet) to replace all the detail work that the previous owner stripped out. Of course if they do, I could always come round to your place and replace mine by stripping out yours with a crow bar. But this is ridiculous. In my view if its gone its gone. The previous owner probably sold the lot at the markets.

I am having nightmares where the same marble fireplaces and what not wander from terrace to terrace round Redfern at the behest of Council Officers seeking 'heritage significance' in the latest reno.

But perhaps I was incautious in telling the Councils gobsmaked officer that I was not interested in some fanciful historical restoration. I know very well how to conserve what is physically there. Just because I have bought a dilapidated terrace in Redfern does not mean that I wish to live in a re creation of the mid Victorian era.

And I am just a little perturbed when a Council Officers says to me; "but surely you knew when you bought the terrace that you would be required to restore the property".

It goes down so well with that other suggestion; "but a two bedroom property would be good enough for you". The place had 9 bedrooms when I bought it. I cannot find that bit of the regulations where it says no terrace in Redfern shall have more than two bedrooms.

3. Type of Listing / Burra Charter
Yes, you are perceptive enough to realise there are two types of what is commonly called 'heritage'. Some properties are within a 'Heritage Conservation Zone'. That means different things to different Councils at different times. Apparently it all depends on who applies.

My terrace is the other sort; a listed Heritage property. Every item down to the door knobs & hinges is considered so important that it must be preserved at all costs.

Its a bit rich when I look at a hollow core door that was bought from Bunnings perhaps 10 years ago with the sort of rat **** door knobs from Bunnings bargain bin.

Yes I know the Burra Charter rather well. Better than the Council Officers. I do put it to you that the Burra Charter talks of maintaining not just the physic elements of a community, but the social fabric as well.

I look at Redfern and I see a rainbow community of different cultures, different beliefs, different people living different lives. Differences that the residents try very hard to express physically.

Council Officers see things differently. They wish to enforce certain unwritten rules. All Redfern terraces must be painted in their colours from their selected colour chart. (they refer to Clive Lucas's recommendations). I knew Clive rather well. I am sure he is spinning in his grave at the misuse of his work by Council Officers.

They even tell me not just what plants I am allowed in my backyard garden, but how they are to be arranged.

The latest objection from Council is that my property is not symmetrical with the adjacent terrace.

Evidently the Burra Charter requires us all to live in identical terraces, painted the same sad colours, with identical windows arranged in regulation order.

If you give in to this treatment you might as well put your school uniform back on.

 

@Peter WARNER - thanks Peter for the detailed response, you're eminently qualified to argue the case.

You're obviously up against a brain surgeon at CoS.

I have seen several totally unsubstantiated claims by owners of unfair treatment by council when they've submitted totally non-conforming DAs hence the barrage of questions.

Inner-West council has been no better in its previous incarnation but I have not seen the demands as stringent as outlined by yourself.

Likewise, understandably, my proposal for a subdivision in western Sydney of a 4000m² block with an 1800's weatherboard house (yes, there are a few of those still in existence) was knocked back even though we'd engaged heritage architects et al for the extensive restoration works - I could understand their reasoning, not that I agreed.

Obviously they're not going to give up without a fight and I take it you've been around the traps long enough to know which ones to pick and from which direction. Pulling a favour (ie letterhead from LSJ as heritage architect in support might help the case if the they think you're pulling the wool over their eyes).

 

Give em hell buddy. Hope you get a favourable outcome.