Commissioner appointed to decide fate of the Fitzroy Hotel
The Regulatory and Fixtures Subcommittee have appointed an independent commissioner to make a determination on a
resource consent application to demolish and redevelop the former Fitzroy Hotel on Wakefield Street.
The developer, Golden City Developments, first lodged the resource consent application in October 2003. At the time the
building was not scheduled as a heritage building under the council’s District Plan or protected by the New Zealand
Historic Places Trust.
The council has an obligation to the applicant to process this consent through the normal channels and to follow the
requirements of the Resource Management Act
In March 2004, Mr Allan Matson, an Auckland heritage campaigner, brought to light the heritage matters associated with
the existing building on site and requested that the building be scheduled. Mr Matson had obtained documentation to show
that the Fitzroy Hotel had been owned by Mr Richard Seccombe, a founder of the Great Northern Brewery Company which
later became Lion Breweries, and it therefore had great historical significance.
On 2 April 2004, the City Development Committee recommended that a variation to the Proposed District Plan (Central Area
Section) to schedule the building be initiated subject to confirmation that the building reached a rating of over 50
points.
Mr Ian Grant, a senior specialist architect/planner for Auckland City’s Heritage Division confirmed that he had
reassessed the building, confirmed the historical background supplied by Mr Matson and given a score of 57 points.
A public notice announcing the council’s intention to initiate a plan change variation to the Auckland City District
Plan Proposed Central Area Section was published on Sunday 25 April. The proposed plan change variation seeks to include
the former Fitzroy Hotel as a category B scheduled building.
Assessment of a building is decided by evaluations of individual criteria or characteristics, leading to the cumulative
allocation of a numeric score.
This score is not a percentage, but a comparative numeric value that may exceed 100 points. This geometric scale is used
to ensue that exceptional examples in a particular category can receive recognition due to the heritage value
identified.
Any building which scores between 50-79 points is classified as ‘category B’ and if a building scores 80 or above it is
classified as ‘category A’. Anything less than 50 points and the building does not have significant heritage value to be
considered for scheduling.
Category A buildings are deemed to have outstanding natural beauty, or architectural, scientific or historical
significance which extends well beyond the immediate environment. Category A means that heritage with this
classification cannot be demolished.
Category B buildings, while less significant than category A items, are of such quality and character that they should
not be demolished, damaged or altered in a significant way without resource consent.
Prior to the Proposed District Plan (Central Area Section) being amended by council decisions in October 2003, a 3-year
submission, further submission and reference process was undertaken that gave opportunities for either the public or
interested organisations to put forward additional buildings for scheduling. During this period both the NZ Historic
Places Trust and the Auckland Regional Council put forward a number of extra buildings they considered worthy of
evaluation for scheduling. The Fitzroy Hotel was not identified by either authority or any members of the public for
review or evaluation.
At the end of this submission period ten pubs/hotels were scheduled under the District Plan as heritage buildings within
the central area.