Plans for housing complex halted again after years of delays
No substantial works have started on a four-storey, mixed-use development that has been in the pipeline for Wilcock Street since 2018 and after years of delays - not the least of which was pandemic related - developers have asked for another extension, along with changes to the plans.
Among the desired modifications is increasing the number of apartments from three to five, reducing commercial tenancies from three to two, adding an undercroft for vehicle parking and increasing the building height by about 50cm.
The City of Melville believes those changes are so significant that a fresh development application should be made but the Metro Inner Development Assessment Panel last month instead opted to give the applicants and council four months to reach agreement.
Melville councillor Daniel Lim called the changes significant and was concerned there had not been any community consultation.
'The open areas, the parking and the look of the building are substantially different,' he told others on the five-member panel.
Melville's other representative on the panel, Cr Matthew Woodall, said it could be argued either way the plans were a 'substantial modification'.
'However, on balance I lean towards the city officers' position, which is that this is substantial,' he said.
Daniel Hollingworth, from Lateral Planning, spoke about the struggles encountered in getting the development started, referencing 'long COVID' and price increases in housing and construction.
Panel member John Syme said that he did not support refusing the extension, like city officers had asked for.
He instead said he would like to see the revised plans approved.
'I don't think the planning framework has changed sufficiently for us not to approve this,' he said.
'In the construction world, we are still looking at the long COVID effects, which is settling down now but has taken a long time to do.'
Deputy presiding member Francesca Lefante's proposal to defer the decision was supported unanimously, giving the city and the applicant up to 120 days to re-assess and consult the community.
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