WANGANUI Much to the relief of St Mary’s parish, Wanganui, permission has finally been granted by the Wanganui District Council to go ahead and demolish the nearly 100-year-old St Mary’s presbytery as part of $2 million redevelopment plans. Fifty parishioners sat in on the June council meeting and clapped when they heard the decision, which avoided a costly and drawn-out legal battle.
The three-storey brick building, commanding skyline views across the city, had become frustratingly inadequate as a home for priests and as a functional building for parish needs.
The council debated placing a heritage order on the slightly Gothic-styled structure, which would have prevented it being pulled down and put this part of the parish project in serious jeopardy.
Mayor Michael Laws noted that the building was not owned by the council. If we grant a heritage order, we are denying St Mary’s their property rights, he said.
