IN the years before the Newcastle CBD's recent redevelopment, opposing views on the city's heritage buildings were at the heart of a running dispute between those who wanted to modernise the city, and those who wanted its historic nature preserved.
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Things have been quieter on the heritage front recently, but a request to demolish St Columban's Catholic church in suburban Mayfield - refused in May by the City of Newcastle - has the potential to reopen the debate.
In arguing for demolition, the church says the WWII-era building - which has not been used for more than a year - has major structural problems that the congregation cannot afford to repair. It says a range of issues, including the building's design, make adaptive re-use difficult. With concerns over public safety, it wants to knock the building down.
Council officers, citing the building's place on the local heritage register and arguing that the church should look harder at adaptive re-use, recommended the application be refused, saying demolition would have an unreasonable impact on the locality, and be against the public interest.
Minutes show the council voted six to five to keep the building standing.
The four Independent councillors, together with one Labor representative, voted to allow the demolition.
The points made on both sides of this debate typify the concerns that are raised at almost every heritage dispute, and with good reason. Although the church seems not to have helped itself by stating that the building was owned by the small Mayfield congregation, rather than the wealthier diocese - a position at odds with various official records - the high cost of maintaining and repairing heritage buildings is a perennial concern, regardless of who foots the bill.
On the other side of the coin, St Columban's is a landmark building that deserves its heritage rating. Along with other nearby church buildings and the former BHP residence, Bella Vista, St Columban's is described by the council as a "prominent" element of the area's "historical cohesion".
Still, most old buildings are only worth preserving if they can find a modern use, and declining congregations mean the Hunter has a growing number of under-used churches. The diocese's next move on St Columban's will be watched with interest.
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