Port Stephens councillors last Tuesday night agreed to defer an application by the property's owner to demolish the almost two-century-old building following passionate pleas to from speakers Chris Richards and Elisabeth Smark to retain the architecturally significant home.

"Bulldozing Pomfrett's Cottage will tear some of the heart out of Woodville," said Ms Smark, vice-president of Woodville's School of Arts which adjoins the property.

The council planners had recommended demolition, subject to conditions, of the Paterson Road property that has been vacant since 1973, and which has architectural significance but is not heritage listed.

The 'leaning' cottage is located on land that was originally part of the Albion Farm land grant set aside by Governor Macquarie in 1811 and is believed to have been built as early as the 1820s.

The council report stated that a site inspection by council's building officers had identified a number of concerns regarding the structural integrity of the building.

"The dwelling is on a significant lean, with compromised structural components. An internal investigation was determined to be too high risk due to concerns of potential collapse."

However, Mr Richards, a local historian and heritage consultant who has also examined the cottage from the outside in detail, believes the property is in a restorable condition.

"The building could be restored at a far less cost than the $300,000 that the applicant is proposing for the new building. The cottage could be restored with sufficient funds left to build a new architecturally designed adjoining pavilion at the rear of the cottage for a family home."

Mr Richards also questioned how council officers could conclude the cottage was "due to collapse" without inspecting its interior.

"Council has freely admitted in its report that it has not been able to undertake an internal inspection of the cottage, it is therefore not legally possible to approve demolition until a heritage engineer's report has been completed."

Mr Richards said that council had a legal responsibility to notify the Heritage Council before making a decision, leaving councillors with little choice but to defer the DA.

It is understood that the property has been in the Harden family for more than 100 years. At the time of publication the Examiner had not received a response to messages left with family member Bruce Harden.

Cr Jaimie Abbott was a lone voice, voting in favour of demolition on the grounds that the cottage had not been heritage listed and the proposed replacement dwelling "is I believe sympathetic [in design] to the surrounding area. I have inspected the property and I agree it is unsafe, dilapidated and beyond repair. This family has waited long enough."

Council decided to defer a decision while the heritage significance of the cottage could be further investigated by planners.