AFTER four years of objecting to a posh condominium project just across their home, a German British couple are hoping the local authorities can understand the need to conserve rather than allow more development to take place.
They had bought their palatial bungalow home with their life savings, as they adored the lifestyle and environment in Penang but in 2022, they were informed that the landowner - Penang Development Corporation (PDC) opted to develop the land where tens of pre-war civil service quarters stood in an area called Burmah Square.
The couple continues to resist the pressure to allow for a high rise residential and commercial project in Chow Thye Road to commence, simply on grounds that the neighbourhood may be overwhelmed with congestion and over development.
The expatriates initially had the support of neighbours but are now left to fend on their own, as the locals preferred to adopt a low– key to the issue.
The couple through their lawyer, are hoping the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) Appeals Board can listen to their plight on Friday and uphold their application for a stay of execution of the planning permission pending the disposal of the appeal.
Earlier, they had applied for the council to ensure that PDC not be allowed to commence construction works.
The area consists of old government quarters, which used to house senior civil officers serving the state.
Brit Louise Goss-Custard and her German partner Thomas Arnold Schmidt entered their dilapidated two-storey home off George Town in 2007.
The furnishings though rotting, had entranced them to make it their permanent home whenever they visit this part of the world from their base in China.
Soon after, they acquired the property from the original owners.
In December 2021, the PDC ordered tenants of 34 units in Burmah Square along Chow Thye Road to evacuate within a month.
However, the plan was called off after an uproar from the community with Penang Forum also helping their cause.
PDC then decided to explore other options for development but later decided that the project should commence at a reduced scale.
The 1920s pre-war quarters will see more than half its numbers bulldozed and replaced by a 42-storey residential and commercial project under PDC.
According to Goss and Custard, the initial eviction plan has just been postponed due to the protests, but it was later learnt that the project is being given the go ahead.
The couple has appointed Cheong Yew Sheng from BC Teh & Yeoh Advocates and Solicitors to represent them.
Cheong said that the hearing on Friday is crucial and hopes there is media attention to the cause of conservation as Penang is acclaimed as a Unesco World Heritage Site where the call to protect heritage is a constant cry.
Cheong said that it is similar to the public outcry when the late local tycoon Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew’s bungalow was demolished in Batu Ferringhi to make way for a new resort.
"Heritage should not just mean the Unesco area but the entire state where there is a sense of historical value and heritage properties - we should strive to conserve it or build around it like what some others have done."
The enclave, which falls under Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow's Padang Kota state constituency, is however out of both the buffer and core heritage Unesco zones.
Still, Cheong is hoping that the board can see the need to put on hold the planning permission, and consider the input of conservationists and sustainability experts.
"We need a halt to all work so no construction is done until legal avenues have been exhausted."
Cheong is also looking for traffic consultants and heritage experts to advice the couple on claims that the project will bring untold congestion into the neighbourhood while also wiping out the historical architecture value of the enclave.
Located behind the Gleneagles Hospital in Penang, the neighbourhood is now home to a mixture of commercial ventures but mostly cafes and restaurants. - August 10, 2025.
