The owner of 22 Hurst Street wants to demolish the house and replace it with a double-storey eight-metre high structure that neighbours say is totally out of character with the street.

The application, which was lodged last October, sparked a public request to list the existing 1888 home, Banksia, as a heritage item on Goulburn Mulwaree Council's Local Environmental Plan.

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"It has representative significance because it sits complementary to other buildings in the streetscape, some of which have been listed as heritage items," David Mullen wrote to the council.

But councillors at their meeting on Tuesday deferred consideration on the basis there was already "adequate protection in place" because the house sat in the heritage conservation area.

However its heritage status will be reviewed after the DA has been decided and after a "thorough" assessment of its individual significance is undertaken.

Planning and environment director Scott Martin said the request to vary the LEP had been reviewed by the council's heritage advisor, David Hobbes.

"He pointed out that simply listing it was not necessarily the best way forward, given the facts," he told The Post.

"Hurst Street is considered one of the finest examples of a heritage streetscape in Goulburn. The building itself may have had internal and external alterations over the past 100 years that probably don't warrant individual listing. Nevertheless its contribution to the streetscape is still significant enough to warrant some investigation."

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Mr Martin said there were some positives in delaying the process because theoretically, it could lead to the street's listing.

Planners have requested further heritage information from the applicant but Mr Martin said as this had not been received, despite staff's "considerable time and effort" devoted to discussing the issues. A report "forcing the issue one way or the other" will go to the March 2 council meeting.

Hurst Street resident Margaret Kearns was happy with Tuesday's outcome. However she pointed out that many historic houses in Hurst Street would have been changed over the years.

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"My point is that you shouldn't just look at the individual architectural significance but the whole package - its history and how it contributes to the street," she said.

"It is not an EC Manfred design but it is a beautiful little house nevertheless."

Mrs Kearns said Hurst Street was an "exciting and energetic street" with Manfred living two doors down, lawyers, doctors, businessmen and former mayors residing on the thoroughfare. Albert Sach, the Goulburn Technical College principal and founder of the local Art Society built number 22 and lived there until 1893 with wife, Annie, who started Goulburn's suffragette movement. It was the first home built in the street, according to Mrs Kearns' research.

A 2017 LEP review by Sue Rosen Associates and another consultant had suggested the Hurst Street precinct be investigated for heritage listing.

"I think it's a great idea to consider it as a precinct because that would cover the trees as well...It will add another layer of protection," Mrs Kearns said.

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She highlighted the fact that number 8 Hurst Street, designed by Manfred, was also not listed on the LEP.

Consultant for the owners of number 22, Andrew Randall of Randall Dutaillis Architects, said he'd received no further direction from the proponent on how he wanted to proceed.

As such, at this stage he would not be providing additional heritage information to council planners.

Mr Randall told The Post last week that he had gained the impression from council correspondence that planners would not support the DA. The council has rejected this, saying due process was being followed.

Councillors unanimously deferred the home's consideration as an LEP heritage item. Hurst Street residents Cr Carol James and operations director Matt O'Rourke declared conflicts of interest in the matter and left the room during discussion.

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