Council wants delay on push for Victoria Rd heritage status

Auckland Council is trying to block Devonport Heritage from presenting a Historic Heritage Area (HHA) proposal for Victoria Rd.

The heritage society included a proposal on an HHA for the main shopping area in its submission on changes to planning rules, but the council is trying to prevent it being presented.

“Essentially, the council is saying staff do not have enough time or resources to assess our proposal and it should be considered perhaps next year,” said

Devonport Heritage chair Margot McRae.

The society commissioned heritage and planning specialists to work on the proposal last year, and liaised closely with council heritage staff.

“The heritage staff fully back our HHA proposal, have praised our work and say Victoria Rd utterly deserves to be an HHA. But they say they still need to spend many hours checking and visiting Devonport,” she said.

The society believes now is the best chance for having the HHA approved and is frustrated at the delay.

“We have essentially done their work for them. Staff advised us throughout and we closely followed their template, but council bureaucracy is threatening to delay it.”

The HHA for the Victoria Rd commercial area would raise its status to that of Karangahape Rd, Mt Eden Village and other officially recognised heritage areas.

“It is so obvious that Victoria Rd is equal to these places,” McRae said.

The full HHA proposal can be read at devonportheritage.net.