A RARE heritage-listed cottage on Brookman Street must be rebuilt after an engineer’s report found “very little of the original building… can be practically retained”.

Brookman Street and nearby Moir Street are a one-of-a-kind precinct of affordable housing from the late 19th century.

Because of the rarity of an intact clump together, a blanket state heritage protection applies to the 58 houses on the streets which marks them  as “conservation essential”.

But number 26 is falling to pieces and will have to be rebuilt. Owners George Karpathakis and Judith Pugh applied to Vincent council for “deconstruction and reconstruction” of the house.

The state heritage council wants the reconstruction to be done to exact details based on measurements taken from the original. One commenter made a submission to council stating “the property should not have been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair due to neglect”.

Ms Pugh told councillors “our property was bastardised by many generations of people before we owned it, there’s very little original material left”.

Earlier this year the council prosecuted the owner of nearby 4 Brookman Street for failing to maintain the property. That house has since been sold.

by DAVID BELL