_VCAT EVIDENCE FOR BEACH ROAD DWELLING

Jay Hollerich from Collie recently presented expert planning evidence to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in relation to the development of a single dwelling at Beach Road, Hampton (the development site).

Collie became involved with the project with the matter already being considered by VCAT following determination by the Bayside City Council that the proposal was prohibited under the terms of Schedule 1 to the Design and Development Overlay (DDO1).

Collie was then involved in organising the team to present the matter to VCAT, including subsequent discussions regarding amendments to the proposed design to ensure that the proposal was permissible under the DDO1. Amended plans were distributed in early December 2011, in advance of the hearing in January 2012.

Beach Road, Hampton

The proposal represented a high quality architectural outcome for the site, albeit acknowledging that the proposed dwelling was large in scale and contemporary in appearance. Beach Road is synonymous with large, modern dwellings. Despite this, the neighbourhood character statement for the area does not acknowledge this characteristic of Beach Road and the development site and immediately adjacent properties are occupied by more modest, older building stock that are expected to be redeveloped in the future.

The VCAT case was run successfully on the basis that the development site and immediately adjacent properties presented opportunities for future redevelopment commensurate with the value of land and with other development elsewhere along Beach Road.

Following his review of the proposal, the VCAT member concluded that the dwelling “will be an attractive, well designed building that will have an interesting built form, generally consistent with the decision guidelines of the overlay that require it to be in keeping with the character of the area”.

We are pleased that a planning permit has been issued for the dwelling (subject to conditions) at the direction of VCAT and look forward to following construction on this interesting project.

Beach Road, Hampton