Grave concerns for schoolhouse knock-down
One of the oldest school buildings in South Australia is facing bulldozers in the eastern suburbs but the demolition plan has sparked a fight from locals determined to save it.
Engineers and town planners claim a local heritage-listed 1840s single-storey Victorian building in Kensington that was once an elementary school building is so dilapidated it needs to be demolished.
They claim the old rendered double-brick building that was once a school room has fallen into disrepair at 69 High Street.
But tonight, about 20 local residents are planning to call on the Norwood, Payneham and St Peters Council Assessment Panel to reject the assessment at its Monday night meeting, with high hopes they can put forward their own plan to save it from the bulldozers.
The decision has been long-awaited after it was deferred in May to give the owners time to submit expert opinions from engineers, town planners and cost estimates for repairs.
The council assessment panel had been told the building had become decrepit, with Finch Constructions quoting about $617,000 for demolition and reconstruction of the front southern wall and western wall to restore it.
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Registered town planner Phillip Brunning wrote to the Council Assessment Panel in August saying that there “should be no impediment to the demolition of this building” and it “should occur sooner rather” than later.
But Kensington Residents’ Association president Roger Bryson told InDaily his hundreds-strong resident group wanted to see tonight’s decision deferred so those who oppose its knock-down can put forward their own evidence and ultimately save it.
“When you demolish, you cannot build heritage buildings, they’re obviously local or state heritage because of their age and significance,” he said.
“It is a precious thing for any suburb, and indeed the city of Adelaide, to have these precincts that do represent the colonial era occupation of our state, and we want every one of them to remain. We don’t want any of them knocked down.”
One suggestion to restore the property was to use chemical resin injection, which heritage consultant Sandy Wilkinson and restoration company Urathane Solutions put forward in May.
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Bryson said the High Street property exposed the vulnerability of local heritage status, compared to state protections.
“I’m not in the mind of the owners of the property, but from the outside looking in, this property has been badly neglected,” Bryson said.
Under state heritage protections, individuals could cop a fine of up to $500,000 if they were found to neglect damaged buildings.
“Unfortunately, the same thing does not apply at the moment for local heritage properties, and so neglect is rewarded, if you like, for someone who is hoping to knock a building down, so we feel that must change.
“We hope to be successful in our efforts; if not, we will be asking for changes in heritage regulations to ensure that this doesn’t continue.”
The current owners purchased the property in 2014 and undertook renovation and structural remedial works at the time to address all known concerns, including building cracking.
The building, which was previously used as a dwelling and rented to tenants, was currently vacant and deemed an “unacceptable risk to any occupant”.
A 2023 state government planning review included a recommendation to give councils the power to issue maintenance orders for local heritage places and allow council assessment panels to consider deterioration causes when they assess properties for demolition, but it has yet to be implemented.
The Norwood Payneham St Peters Council Assessment Panel would discuss the demolition and was expected to make a decision on Monday, October 20.
