Moves tipped on vandalised cottage

Jim Mynard
CARDINIA Shire Council is expected to order restoration of the vandalised Old Coach House in Kenilworth Avenue, Beaconsfield.
Pakenham Ward councillor Bill Ronald said he and other councillors were outraged at damage to the heritagelisted building.
“The council will direct the development company to restore the building,” he said.
He said the council had a 173 agreement as a condition of the permit that says the building must be retained. Both the council and the developer have a duty of care to ensure it was protected, it says.
“I believe the 173 agreement means that the council intends the building to be restored and we will use council resources to see that it is restored,” Cr Ronald said.
“We have collected pieces of broken stained glass from the windows and this will provide a pattern to have new windows made. I am moving to have an injunction taken out to stop further development on the residential estate until after the building is restored.”
Cr Ronald said vandals went to considerable effort to wreck the building.
“The prized windows were smashed with an iron bar and the main load bearing wall had a large hole knocked in it.
“This put the integrity of the structure at risk and would cause officers to condemn the structure. I believe it would have taken a sledge hammer to smash through the wall.”
Cr Ronald said the building contained remnants from the original Kenilworth homestead on the complex, such as the front door and stained glass windows.”
The Gazette was unable to make contact with the developer.