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1. Developers need to preserve 580 Forest Road Bexley .. as it Should be Heritage listed for its Unique qualities .

   Developers can add, extend, enhance this house whilst keeping the Heritage & Antique features .

   Developers can build on this large site without destroying/demolishing this "Heritage" looking house which stands on the said site .

   Clever architect design can restore the home or enhance it whilst still erecting other or 2 storey dual occupancies as required.

   It will be a travesty to demolish this house which bears history to the area .
   Once destroyed bearing witness to that special era will be lost .

   I live in a Heritage listed semi in a Conversation area and thus I understand the importance of preserving elements of our historic past .

   Thank you .

2. The loss of heritage associated with the approval of demolishing of this building represents a great travesty and loss to not only St George area but to NSW as a whole - the quality of period features and the craftsmanship apparent here albeit in need of some restoration is rare indeed. This property should be heritage listed and the developer and architects made to incorporate it into the planned development. I recently travelled through UK and the awe and admiration evoked from seeing historic buildings in abundance and the reverence shown to heritage made my experience all that richer. I do not want to see successive generations denied the same experience in what is a relatively young country indigenous culture aside. I do not want them having to look at photographs or google lost heritage. I implore Council and Planning Authorities to revisit and reverse this decision as a matter of urgency.

3. This home obviously has significant heritage value which was used as the selling point in the marketing campaign with the home touted as "Bexley's most iconic residence... A Federation masterpiece ". These architectural gems must be preserved particularly in the current 'frenzied development' climate. Once gone the area changes forever and part of Sydney's culture is lost. Please reconsider your decision to approve the demolition of this beautiful part of our limited history.

4. The plans for 580 Forest Rd Bexley are simply not good enough to replace Brandlesome, the historic home that currently occupies the site. There is potential to build dual occupancy dwellings on the site while keeping and renovating the existing building, which is a local landmark and was owned for four generations by the Greenhalgh family, whose roots can be traced back centuries to the original Brandlesholme Hall outside Manchester.
   Forest Rd still features many beautiful, grand homes of heritage value. Unfortunately, these are becoming fewer in number every year. As the developer and architect themselves acknowledge in their Statement of Environmental Effects, the house is "in an overall traditional area within Bexley," but the current plans do not fall into line with this statement. Saying there MAY be an addition of some original features into the new build is not satisfactory. I urge those considering this development to ask for amendments that will allow the continued existence of this very important building alongside the developer's desire to gain value from their build.

5. I have lived in the St George area my whole life and have driven past Brandlesome House on numerous occasions. It is the only house on that street that has clearly stood out.

   Brandlesome House serves as a glimpse into the past and is undeniably an apt example of federation architecture. Hence, 'this Federation Masterpiece is full of period feature's' to quote the selling agent who even marketed the house on this basis.

   Once it is gone, it is gone forever, so I compel you to consider the necessity of demolishing this beautiful home!

6. The proposal of demolishing such an iconic property is one that cannot be allowed. Brandlesome is a rare occurrence in such a highly subdivided and developed suburb of Sydney. It is highly likely that Brandlesome is one of the last remaining federation houses being designed transversely with a substantial setback from Forrest Road, it is clearly a fine example of its type and retains a substantial amount of its original fabric, including fireplaces, timber joinery and detailing, led light windows and ornate tile flooring.

   The proposed demolition of Brandlesome is entirely unnecessary due to ample space for innovative design on the Northern and Eastern sides of the property including townhouses or semi-detached development. Sympathetic design can not only enhance the heritage significance that this house clearly presents. Rockdale City Council clearly states that it is "concerned about protecting the heritage of the local area."
   This decision will stand as a true testament to the councils promise on retaining the character of the suburb and ensuring that it will be retained for future generations.

7. The Formby's came to Australia around 1880, settling in the Kogarah area of NSW sometime after 1881. Formerly of the town of Merseyside, Lancashire, England, the Formby family had occupied the site of Formby Hall (built around 1523) since the 12th century.

   My husband's uncle's uncle, Colonel John Frederick Lonsdale Formby, died in 1958, and with it too died the title of Squire Formby after both his sons were killed in WW2.

   "Brandlesome" was built in the early 20th Century by Roger Greenhalgh Formby and his wife Elizabeth Bowerman, and is possibly pre-Federation. My husband's uncle by marriage was born in the house, and was the couples only child.

   We visited the house several times in the 90's, and although several rooms were "no-go" areas with missing floorboards, broken plastering, holes in the ceiling and rising damp, I could see that the potential was still there for it to become the grand home it once was again. The large claw foot bath, the ornate plaster ceilings, the servants quarters are all still there! The slate roof was restored at great expense to it's full glory in the 90's.

   My husband's aunt and uncle remained living in a couple of unaffected rooms in the home until his uncle's death.

   This house is potentially "The Rocks" of Bexley. It holds so much history, and is a time capsule of class and elegance from a long gone era that MUST be preserved.

   I ask the council, how much of the soul of Sydney must be lost to the developers dollar?

   We would have always loved to see this house restored as a function house.
   Why is there no heritage order on this heritage home???

   Considering the block is around 2000 metres, there is the possibility to keep the house intact and to subdivide the remaining land.

   We no longer live in Sydney. Sydney is now nothing but units and town houses. It holds no beauty, and has much of it has no soul, because it has all been pulled down by developers and turned into little boxes made of ticky tacky!

8. It disappoints me how ignorant and short sighted Rockdale council and Sydney as a whole are only focused on short term gain and greed. To even allow a DA on a property such as this one is criminal as there is no major structural damage and it is a well built, solid house that has lasted longer than any G.J Gardiner or Hotondo Home and is an amazing example of early 20th century architecture and settlement in the area.
   It astounds me how backwards Sydney is against other developed countries where history is valued and promoted, where Sydney is slipping back to the 60s and 70s. All it is is short term gain and will be a great loss of revenue in the future (even in 15-20 years) where these new units will be dated and eyesores and people will want to live in the streets of reasonable yards for their family and tree lined streets of bungalows and cottages will be popular, attractive and worth more as can be seen happening in some parts of Melbourne. To think this was ever approved would be very foolish of Rockdale council and will sure be regretted in the future and be a disadvantage for future generations just as our destruction in the 60s and 70s is now.
   (I definately won't be moving back if this goes ahead)

9. Please do not let us lose this beautiful and unique piece of Australian Architecture. Please think of the future, a future in which those that will replace it will not see.

10. I'm devastated that this property "Bexley's most iconic residence... A Federation masterpiece ", could be demolished. How can such an important building be destroyed? As an historian, I understand the great significance of preserving our heritage, as it is this which gives us an understanding of who we are - an invaluable connection with the past.
    Australians love travel to other countries to see beautiful historic architecture and this will continue to be the case as our own heritage is unappreciated and destroyed.
    Please reconsider this disastrous decision.

11. I went to school with Rodger (Roger) and John FORMBY, and lived in Lymington Street Bexley from birth till age of 24 years.
    I have admired their house of residence since I was a child with them. I once (1 time) met their parents.
    I have not had any affiliation with them or their family since that time
    I have always looked at the residence as an iconic house and will always see this Establishment as a point of reference, which I have shown to my children and grandchildren when I have shown them where I once lived.
    I am now 68 years of age.
    This Icon should be Heritage listed and stand.
    Thank You

12. "Brandlesome" is a significant piece of local history in Bexley and also Australia. This beautiful & original Edwardian house and how it is situated on the large land package at 580 Forest Road, Bexley is a rare find and must be preserved as part of our history.
    PLEASE do NOT let it be demolished only to be replaced by ugly and polluted unit blocks.
    Rockdale council should be hanging their heads in utter shame! Who ever it was on the council who approved this disastrous decision obviously has no strong bonds with the suburb of Bexley or the entire St George area and no respect for what it represents to the generations who have lived here.
    SAVE BRANDLESOME TODAY AND REVERSE THIS GREED DRIVEN DECISION - ONCE IT IS GONE IT CANNOT BE REPLACED!

13. I am not in favour of the DA with respect to 580 Forest Road Bexley.
    This estate is a rare example of heritage architecture in the area, enhanced by its extended setback from the road. A handsome "estate" of yesteryear, Brandlesome represents a significant part of the area's local memory.
    The function and form of the building could readily be restored with tasteful restorations and sympathetic architectural editions.
    We are becoming an area consumed with either sub-dividing or re-rating to high density, every available parcel of land. However, a large part of the home's presence and value is due to its positioning on extensive grounds.
    I grow increasingy alarmed by the rate at which council is acceding to developer interests. The area is jamming more and more people into smaller and smaller living spaces through subdivisions, duplexes, granny flats and unit blocks which are obliterating community heritage, gardens and green space...not to mention a sense of community.
    This house and grounds need to be protected from the short term gains of developers.
    Heritage list this house and grounds now

14. It's NOT heritage listed. According to Nikki Mackie's post it probably should have been but it wasn't. Listing the property would have drastically reduced the value and so the owners would not have wanted that. I understand there was a substantial offer made to purchase the property which would have seen the property restored & preserved but this was rejected in the hope a better price could have been achieved. It's all a sad sad story now. I can't see how council is to blame, given the choice the owners didn't want the property listed & council cannot force it upon them, the state government can if they thought there was some historical significance.

15. OMG! Don't demolish this beautiful house. Soon there will be nothing left of Australia's historic homes! Fair enough it's on a huge block of land! Is there no way it can be built around? So many building that have amazing stories attached to them have already disappeared. Which is heartbreaking

16. Its a huge shame that historic buildings like this are just ignored because of someone who has more money than anyone could ever need wants to build more giant high density cookie-cutter duplexes which are just so generic. Just down the road a developer has kept the beautiful historic home and are building the Victoria House Function Center around it. Sure it would have been better that they just restore the house without subdividing but at least they made an attempt to maintain some of the original buildings character.
    I object to the proposed development at 580 Forest Road and I'm certain that everyone else apart from other developers and people who only care about money would object as well.

17. Its a huge shame that historic buildings like this are just ignored because of someone who has more money than anyone could ever need wants to build more giant and unappealing buildings just to make themselves even more money.

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