Esplanade office block likely to be approved

Environment Minister Rob Duhamel told a public hearing yesterday that he was ‘minded to support’ the plans by Naish Waddington Architects despite his officer’s advice that he turn down the application.

Planning officers objected to the ‘façadism’ approach – through which just the front, or façade, of an old building is kept while the rest is removed and replaced – but the minister indicated that he would overrule their concerns.

The plans submitted are for a five-storey office block with basement parking for the site, which stretches from 8–9 the Esplanade back to the Zebra Hire Car building at 10–12 Commercial Street.