Council refuses unit plans

By Alison Noonan
CASEY Council has put its foot down to stop overdevelopment in the city’s south.
Councillors resolved to adopt recommendations at last week’s Planning Committee meeting to refuse two applications to build units in Cranbourne and Junction Village.
The first application proposed the construction of three units in Lyall Street, Cranbourne.
A petition with six signatories was presented to council, with the main objections being that the building would create an overdevelopment of the site and cause a traffic nightmare on the already congested street.
In a report tabled to council, planning officers described Cranbourne as a “country feel city living” area where “generous green ‘backyard scapes’ are a core component of the township’s character.”
“The proposed design does not respect the existing or preferred neighbourhood character.
“The development has not been designed to allow for convenient, safe and efficient vehicle movements and connections within the development and to the street network.
“There are a number of multi dwelling sites on the northern side of Lyall Street which already contribute to a considerable amount of onstreet parking.
“This proposal may exacerbate this issue,” the report said.
Six objections were also received to the application to construct four units on Ballarto Road, Junction Village.
If granted, the development would have been the first Medium Density Development on the relatively isolated road.
“This proposal constitutes a higher density development than that typically found within the surrounding area,” a council report said.
“The immediate surrounding area of the subject site is characterised by single dwellings on medium to large size lots.
“It is considered that the proposed development does not respond or contribute favourably to the existing neighbourhood character of the area and constitutes an overdevelopment of the site.”
The report claimed that a proposal with less dwellings would better maintain the semirural feel of the area.