An expatriate couple fighting to save a row of heritage homes have won a temporary reprieve after state-owned developer PDC Properties was ordered to suspend major works on its 27-storey condominium and office project off Burmah Road.
The homeowners’ lawyer, Cheong Yew Sheng, said the Penang Appeals Board ruled on Friday that PDC could only carry out limited dismantling works at Service Road and Irrawaddy Road.
The developer must maintain a 50-foot buffer zone from eight pre-war houses in Jalan Chow Thye.
“All other construction works, including piling and plans to relocate the heritage buildings, have been frozen until the appeal is heard,” Cheong told FMT.
Cheong said the board also directed the Penang Island City Council to closely monitor the dismantling process and issue a stop-work order immediately if there were signs that the nearby heritage structures could be affected.
“At least we have managed to secure an order to pause piling and condominium construction for now,” said Cheong.
The case was filed by British-German couple Louise Goss-Custard and Thomas Schmidt, who own one of the century-old mansions opposite the row of heritage houses in Jalan Chow Thye.
They argue that the PDC project comprising 361 apartments and 138 office suites would destroy a century of heritage.
The next case management before the appeals board has been fixed for Jan 21.
PDC and MBPP have previously maintained that the site lies outside Unesco’s heritage buffer zone, and that adequate heritage safeguards were built into the project’s approval.
However, the couple insist that relocating the old houses would irreparably damage them, erasing an important part of George Town’s living history.
The project, which received planning approval in March 2024, comprises a six-storey podium with a 16-storey tower of office suites and a 21-storey residential block.
PDC argued that a full suspension would be unfair given the millions already invested.
Cheong said his clients doubted the eight heritage buildings could be relocated without suffering severe structural damage.
Lim En You also represented the couple, while N Murelidharan and Lai Chian Loong appeared for PDC.
The appeals board was chaired by Amardas Jethanand, with Alias Abdullah and Naveen Singh Sidhu as members.
