_HERITAGE BUILDING CHANGES

Collie recently acted on behalf of the owner as the advocate at a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) hearing over proposed changes to a heritage building at 14 – 16 Collins Street, Melbourne. The proposed works to the façade involved the lowering of the window sills and removal of external aluminium bay windows in order to increase the visual access to the interior tenancy when viewed from the Collins Street level footpath. These works were required as a result of the whole of the ground floor of the building being lowered by about 1 metre.

Although the proposed works were relatively minor, the key issue which resulted in the proposal being heard at VCAT was the heritage controls over the façade. Of particular importance was the fact that the site was individually listed under a heritage overlay in the Melbourne Planning Scheme and the refusal by the responsible authority to approve the changes.

Collie called expert heritage evidence and tested the Council heritage expert. Following the hearing, VCAT approved the changes to the building as sought.