Agenda item

SUMMARY

Planning application YR-2019/418 was originally lodged with Council in 2019 for the construction of seven (7) dwellings on the lot, which was amended to construct six (6) dwellings to address planning concerns.  At the Council Meeting, on 13 October 2020, Council resolved to issue an approval to construct six (6) dwellings and variation of an easement (Attachment 2).

At an objector appeal, Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) set aside the Council decision and remitted the application to Council for reconsideration.

This report is the reconsideration of the proposal.  The application introduces minor changes and improvements to the previously approved plans to address the VCAT direction, to demonstrate full compliance to Garden Area Provision – Clause 32.08-4 General Residential Zone.  It also removes the variation to the easement.

Following a second notification process, twelve (12) new objections have been received, in addition to the thirteen (13) objections originally received.

Objector concerns relate to insufficient car parking provision, unsafe design relating to traffic and retaining walls, design not energy efficient, inadequate street setback, overshadowing of open spaces, inappropriate landscaping, asbestos risk from demolition of the existing house, noise/vibration during construction period and property devaluation.

The land is within a consolidation area where the increased density isencouraged to increase the housing numbers, whilst enabling the efficient use of existing infrastructure. Residential consolidation within the activity centre has increased over recent years in line with this objective.

The revised proposal has been assessed as compliant with Clause 55, Council’s Multi Unit Development Design Guidelines and the Design and Development Overlay design objectives.

Overall, the proposed development is considered an appropriate design response and is satisfactory when assessed against the relevant policies, provisions, and prescribed design standards of the Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme.

As such it is recommended that the application be approved subject to conditions.

The Mayor Read the Following statement:

Before we move forward with item 10.2 of tonight’s business papers, I would like to correct an anomaly which has been identified in the officers’ report regarding the carparking rate.  On page 254 of tonight’s agenda the carparking rate for the proposed development has incorrectly been identified as requiring 17 carparking spaces.  The required carparking rate for the development has been correctly identified on page 243-244 of tonight’s agenda as requiring 12 car parking spaces.

In accordance with Governance Rule 58, Gage Rossiter spoke in objection to the recommendation included in the officer report.