The anti-progress brigade

Tim Fookes writes at NewstalkZB:

I can’t believe that once again I’m seeing a classic case of the minority holding Wellington back.

We are used to the anti-progress brigade trying to stop projects like the runway extension, and the Basin flyover and development on the waterfront, but news of the latest opposition takes the cake.

A group is trying to stop the demolition of a derelict apartment building on The Terrace, which has sat vacant for the last four years and was about to be torn down.

The Gordon Wilson building for several decades housed hundreds of people, but it has fallen into a state of disrepair over the years and in 2012 was condemned.

Victoria University bought it and was considering putting a new modern building there, or using it as a walkway between the city and the campus.

Now, that whole idea is on hold because a group called the Architectural Centre is appealing the building being demolished, because they say it’s a heritage building.

It’s covered in graffiti, the windows are broken, no one in their right mind would want to live there.

Quite frankly it’s a dump and an eyesore.

And yet because of the rules in place, this group of halfwits can appeal to the Environment Court to have the building remain there and it may take up to a year to resolve.

The Wellington City Council has to have staff working on the case to try and say why the building is not a heritage building, and it’s ratepayers that will be paying for it.

It is a sign, I believe, that we are giving far too much ability to minority wowsers to stop the city going forward.

The building is anything but a heritage building, yet this is able to happen.

It is nuts. The building is an eye sore and not even old, let alone heritage. They were built in 1959.