Heritage Gap Study
In 2009, Council engaged consultants Graeme Butler and Associates to conduct a Heritage Gap Study to identify places in Yarra where new heritage controls may be required.
The study recommended a range of improvements to heritage protections, including the introduction of additional heritage precincts, heritage overlays to individual buildings and revisions to existing heritage precincts.
What is a Heritage Overlay?
What is a Heritage Precinct?
Next steps
In order to implement the changes recommended in the study, Council will need to make an amendment to the Yarra Planning Scheme.
At its meeting on 20 March 2012 Council decided to seek authorisation from the Minister of Planning to prepare Amendment C149.
Once Council receives authorisation, it will conduct a broad community consultation on the proposed amendment for at least one month before deciding whether to proceed with it.
Amendment C149 proposes:
- Three new heritage precincts at Alphington East (affecting 206 places), Cole’s Paddock Estate, Richmond (162 places) and Wellington Street, Cremorne (167 places). Each property within these precincts has been graded individually significant, contributory or not-contributory. An explanation of these heritage grading can be found on the Understanding Heritage Gradings web page.
- The application of a Heritage Overlay over 109 individual places with an individually significant grading
- Revisions to eight existing heritage precincts (HO308, HO310, HO315, HO322, HO325, HO328, HO338, HO342)
- Inclusion of a new reference document within clause 22.02 (Development Guidelines for Sites Subject to the Heritage Overlay) of the Yarra Planning Scheme
- Amendments to the existing appendix 8 incorporated document in the schedule to clause 81.01 of the Yarra Planning Scheme.
Council will ask the Minister to amend the planning scheme immediately to apply interim protection to all of the sites covered by the proposed amendment until a final decision is made on the amendment. This is to guard against the risk of significant buildings being demolished in the meantime.
Interim heritage controls may also be sought on a case by case basis if and when the need arises prior to the approval of full interim heritage controls.
Will my property be affected by the proposed changes?
Council will notify in writing the owners and occupiers of all properties that would be affected by the proposed Amendment. Council will write to affected people once it has recieved authorisation from the Minister to begin the amendment process.
All property owners, as well as the wider community, will have the opportunity to provide their feedback about the proposed Amendment before any final decision is made by Council about whether to proceed with it.
More information and supporting documents, including a list of properties that would be affected by the Amendment can be found on the Amendment C149 web page.
What is a Heritage Overlay?
The Heritage Overlay aims to:
- conserve and enhance places of natural or cultural significance
- conserve and enhance those elements which contribute to the significance of heritage places
- ensure that development does not adversely affect the significance of heritage places
- conserve specifically identified places by allowing a use that would otherwise be prohibited if this will demonstrably assist with the conservation of the significance of the place.
Under the Heritage Overlay a planning permit is required from Council to:
- subdivide or consolidate land
- demolish or remove a building (including part of a building)
- construct a building (including part of a building)
- externally alter a building
- construct or carry out works
- construct or display a sign
- externally paint an unpainted surface
- externally paint a building if the painting constitutes an advertisement.
What is a Heritage Precinct?
A Heritage Precinct refers to where a Heritage Overlay is applied to a whole area, street or group of places. Each building within a Heritage Precinct will have a heritage grading of individually significant, contributory or not-contributory. An explanation of these heritage grading can be found on the Understanding Heritage Gradings web page.
More information about heritage in Yarra is available on the Heritage FAQ web page.
Further information
Erika Russell
Strategic Planner
9205 5322
Erika.Russell@yarracity.vic.gov.au
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