Victoria University’s expansion plans have suffered a blow after heritage protection was given to a property it had hoped to demolish.
An independent planning panel met in March and last month delivered a report to Maribyrnong council recommending the Burrows House at 20 Geelong Road, Footscray, be protected as a building of local heritage significance.
The panel noted that the building was the first of its kind in the area.
Victoria University had initially applied to demolish dwellings at 12, 20, 22 and 24 Geelong Road to make way for extra parking.
A heritage assessment found Burrows House was “of local aesthetic and historic significance”.
A report to last week’s council meeting noted buildings at 2, 8 and 10 also had heritage overlays in recognition of the grand “Golden Mile” avenue of elaborate villas along Geelong Road.
“A key element of significance for these villas is that they exemplify the architecture and location of Footscray’s more affluent residents during the boom period of Footscray’s development in the Victorian and Edwardian eras,” the report stated.
The university argued against the heritage protection, claiming Burrows House failed to meet the threshold for local heritage significance.
But the panel found the threshold was met in the context of a particular era.
The university declined to comment.
