LONDON, ONT. -- The partially collapsed Victorian-era barn in London's Byron neighbourhood officially received heritage designation on Tuesday.
That stops a request for a demolition request by the owner of 247 Halls Mill Road.
It came down to a 12-3 vote, with Mayor Ed Holder and councillors Paul Van Meerbergen and Michael Van Holst opposed.
Neighbours have been fighting to prevent demolition of the barn, while the property's owner wants to tear it down.
After the decision, neighbour Debbie Park tells CTV News she wants to see the barn secured and repaired, “It needs to be covered for the winter. All the materials are there.”
Concern about the building began growing in Sept. 2019 when metal sheeting was removed and the roof partially collapsed.
A make-safe order, requiring the owner to either repair the barn, fence off the barn, or seek a demolition request, had been issued by the city.
Owner John McLeod actually had a demolition permit in 2008, but those permits expire after a year. He declined comment after the decision.
