By CHRISTINA CHIN and TAN SIN CHOW | Jan 8, 2010

Photos by RONNIE CHIN and courtesy of CHAT

Preserve heritage buildings

Ugly: Unsightly air-conditioning units placed outside the building mars the facade. The building’s windows  are also not in compliance with heritage guidelines.

AN AVERAGE of three to five heritage buildings in Penang are losing their value every week.

This is because most property owners – including clan houses and corporations – do not appreciate the “critical characteristics” of the Unesco World Heritage cultural site.

Cultural Heritage Advisory Group (CHAT) spokesman Janet Pillai warned that repairs and renovations conducted without adherence to heritage guidelines could result in George Town losing its Unesco status.

“Presently, there is a blatant eviction of tenants who enrich the area culturally. The Unesco listing is dependant on the built-up and living heritage of the city –we are at risk of losing these unique characteristics,” she said.

“It is critical that property owners, potential buyers and tenants look beyond short-term gains and be aware of new valuation indicators based on cultural significance, environmental aesthetics and social climate.

“These will translate to high income economic value,” she said.

She said tourists and long-term investors flocked to Penang because of the unique characteristics that differentiate George Town from other locations.

Noting that as more and more shophouses along the streets lose their historical features and attain new decorative fronts unrelated to local history and culture, she said the “built heritage value” of the street droped.

“We are not talking about aesthetics – it isn’t about whether the renovation is beautifully done or not. The point is that whatever renovation must be in line with heritage guidelines or it will lose its heritage value,” she said.

She said investors, businessmen and residents must be aware that the rate of destruction of the outstanding characteristics of buildings and lifestyle in George Town might cause it to be “yellow flagged” (meaning a possible delisting of the city as a heritage site) by Unesco.

From left to right: (a) No way: A gate has been added to the building to fence off the five-foot way which is meant for public use; (b) Blocked: The roller shutter installed is not in compliance with heritage guidelines while the car parked at the five-foot way is also obstructing public access.

“This will surely have a negative impact on the property market. Building owners and investors must consult advisory authorities at the World HeritageOffice(JalanAcheh)orPenangMunicipal Council (MPPP) Heritage Unit (Komtar) before embarking on any renovation work.

“All the advice, resources, official forms and publications on the relevant information are available there,” she said.

According to a Chat survey from October to December last year, some 80% of the 70-odd buildings in the heritage site now undergoing repairs and renovations have allegedly no approval from relevant authorities and, are not in accordance to heritage guidelines.

Among the bylaws and guidelines that have been infringed are renovations without permits, partial demolition of heritage structures, destruction of the facade and internal structure as well as illegal extensions.

Citing the obstructed five-foot ways that have been tarred and installed with roller shutters, Pillai said the state government lacked the political will to act and the MPPP departments were passing the buck.

“Last year at our initial heritage advisory meeting, we raised the issue (of obstructed five-foot ways) with Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and he implied that at that point, it wasn’t politically feasible to act as enforcement could not only be limited to the heritage zone,” she said.

New pavement: The tarred five-foot way is in breach of heritage guidelines and by laws.

In a related development, the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) will form a joint-monitoring unit with Chat to curb illegal amendments and renovations being carried out on architectural heritage in the inner city.

StateLocalGovernmentandTrafficManagement Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said one of its taskswasto studywhetherimmediateenforcement could be taken against property owners who carried out repairs and renovations without approval from relevant authorities.

He said they would also be looking at shortening the application process for property owners to carry out renovation in line with the council and heritage guidelines.

“I have arranged for a follow-up meeting with CHAT over the setting up of the monitoring mechanism to look into the issue,” he said after the flag-off of some 100 people taking part in a free heritage trail walkabout in George Town.

The walkabout was held in conjunction with the George Town City Day celebration on New Year’s Day.

Chow said the problems were in the “grey area” of the council’s bylaws, as it took up to 60 days at times before the council could take action against the errant owners.

“According to procedures, errant owners would be slapped with several notices before the enforcement team could move in. But by the time we move in, the owners had already completed their renovations Thus, the matter would be referred to legal department,” he said.
 

From left to right: (a) A mess: Piles of garbage obstructing the five-foot way along a row of heritage houses; (b) Major changes: Renovations like these, according to CHAT, are not in compliance with heritage guidelines as the concrete columns are used for the  building instead of timber ones; (c) Big number: A survey by CHAT has shown that 80% of the 70-odd buildings in the George Town heritage site, currently undergoing repairs and renovations,  are not abiding by the heritage guidelines; (d) Decorative but not suitable: Plants obstructing the five-foot way are not allowed under heritage bylaws and guidelines.

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