Heritage Inventory Project Research

Thanks for the feedback, the landowner pre-consultation closed on 20 July 2012.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts on the Historic Heritage Review project that Council has kicked off this year.

Following the public meetings in May and June we received a lot of written feedback until the close off date on 20 July.

Feedback was provided on a number of issues including:

• how to balance earthquake strengthening and heritage protection;
• how to encourage renewable energy provision (for example solar panels) and historic heritage protection; the inclusion or exclusion of specific properties from the historic heritage review;
• the draft heritage assessments undertaken by consultants;
• the effect of heritage protection on property values and rights;
• the amount and type of Council financial incentives for heritage protection.

Council is currently at the stage of assessing feedback received and staff are meeting with the Councillor and Iwi working groups to confirm the approach for the development of a historic heritage plan change to the Nelson Resource Management Plan and the approach for Council financial help for heritage property owners.

No decisions on the feedback received, or the inclusion or not of specific properties and precincts, or the approach being taken have been made at this point. Owners of the properties concerned will be kept informed as the project progresses.

Background

Council is working through the process of reviewing how we protect our historic heritage. As part of the process the Thematic Historical Overview of Nelson City has been written and released earlier this year.  You may have read excerpts from it in recent editions of Live Nelson.  As well as making interesting reading, the Thematic Overview is being used as a tool to identify the gaps in what  heritage is protected. For instance, Nelson has many late 19^th or early 20^th century villas that are protected under the Nelson Resource Management Plan (NRMP). But what about some of our more recent history such as the classic state house architecture, early water supply infrastructure, certain 20^th century commercial buildings or other examples of our heritage,  are they worthy of protection too?

Based on the findings of the Thematic Overview, Council has had a team of historical consultants working on a desk top assessment of new buildings, sites, areas and items that may be worth protecting.

That exercise has led to some recommendations from these consultants for additions to the heritage items listed in the NRMP.  Among these are some new heritage precincts. Heritage precincts are already in place in Elliot and Russell Streets and help to preserve the overall look of these areas.  The new proposed areas include:

• A section of Mount Street
• Three properties in Haven Road
• Four properties in Fifeshire Crescent/Britannia Heights
• Most of Wolfe Street
• The Brougham/Bronte Street area

Many individual properties around the city have also been identified as possibly being worthy of protection. Draft heritage assessments of all the properties and sites have been sent to the landowners concerned and a series of neighbourhood and one to one meetings are being held to discuss the assessments.

No decisions have been made. This is the first stage in the process to ensure we’re doing our best to look after our heritage.

Part of the review process is also looking at the levels of protection that are in place for new and existing listed heritage properties and what Council can do to support the owners in looking after these places for the benefit of the community.

More information

For more information please contact the Planning Advisor on 03 546 0338.