A DEVELOPER has been allowed to demolish an historic Mount Lawley shop despite a development assessment panel originally using its retention as a justification to approve the project.
The 1912 Poles building at 760 was once home to Golman’s mustard and starch, but is making way for a small bar, shop, office and apartments which was approved by the north metro DAP in 2014.
Stirling council recommended Dolten Pty Ltd’s application be knocked back because of a parking shortfall, but the DAP approved it instead, partly because it was “considered an innovative approach to the site, which respected and recognised the heritage value of the retained building”.
During demolition Dolten went back to Stirling council, claiming the old storefront couldn’t be retained and was unsafe.
The council agreed to the shop’s demolition on the proviso bricks were recycled into the new development in some way.
Mount Lawley Society president Paul Collins says the the new construction shouldn’t have been allowed to encroach so far on the 1912 building: “The DAPs are the greatest threat to heritage,” he says, with the DAP allowing them to just keep a mere facade of the old place. “What happened was inevitable in our experience… now there’s no heritage left.”
by DAVID BELL
Perth Voice Interactive 
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