The City of Vincent is reconsidering its decision to withdraw a heritage conservation notice for a 120-year-old house at 40 Guildford Road in Mt Lawley, following a recommendation from the State Administrative Tribunal. The tribunal suggested the council revisit its rejection of plans to demolish the 1904-built dwelling, which was denied last year for being inconsistent with the city's heritage management policy.
City officers have recommended that the conservation notice be withdrawn, but they do not support the demolition of the house. If approved, the property would remain on the city's heritage inventory, though this listing would not prevent its demolition. However, the council noted that retaining the house on the site was not preferred by the department due to its smaller housing yield.
At a meeting on Tuesday night, Councillor Alex Castle suggested that the heritage conservation notice should remain on the house. The matter will be discussed further at the council meeting next week. In 2009, the City of Vincent approved the demolition of surrounding properties, including a corner shop and eight single houses, for road widening, but the heritage-listed site was excluded.
In 2024, the State Government applied again to demolish the house to create more housing and widen the road. The application was rejected by the council. Mayor Alison Xamon previously stated that “demolition by neglect” should not be “rewarded.” If a development application is not submitted to the Western Australian Planning Commission within six months of the city's decision, the heritage conservation notice will be reinstated.
A government spokesman, Scott McGill from the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, said the Mt Lawley site is part of the Housing Diversity Pipeline program, which aims to prioritize residential development in infill locations to deliver economic and social benefits, including social housing. He added that seeking demolition as soon as possible would provide certainty on the developable area and allow for site remediation and better development outcomes.
