‘Fair and reasonable’: Bayswater council says yes to multiple dwellings in Morley despite community objection

The Bayswater City council has greenlit a plan to build affordable housing at a vacant inner-city site despite receiving overwhelming community opposition.

The Bayswater council has unanimously voted to grant planning approval for a proposal of eight multiple dwellings at 10 Hewton Street, metres from Galleria Shopping Centre.

The proposed 902sqm site — which has been put forward by applicant Mark Anthony Design — would see the Morley site transformed into a development of one, one-bedroom dwelling and seven, two-bedroom dwellings.

The site, which is located within the Morley Activity Centre, would also have associated car parking.

Earlier this year, the Town of Bayswater advertised the project for community consultation where it received 12 objections relating to visual privacy, parking, size, overshadowing and noise.

But city staff have since come back and confirmed the proposed development met the “element objectives” of visual privacy, size, setbacks and orientation.

Councillor Steven Ostaszewskyj said he had met with Hewton Street residents to hear their concerns but ultimately found the application to be “fair and reasonable”.

“We’ve listened to the residents concerns and we encourage them to participate in the consultation process around these so they can share their concerns with the city,” he said at a council meeting last month.

“The city has worked with the design review panel (and has) worked with the applicant and has listened to the concerns and has made some adjustements to this application.

“The city’s vision, the council’s vision, our strategic plans, the town planning scheme, the residential design code, the submissions, the residential concerns; I put it all together and I think this is a fair and reasonable application.”

Cr Assunta Meleca, who also met with locals, said she empathised with the Hewton Street residents but said she had to think about the “greater good” of the Morley Activity Centre.

“I think about how I would feel if that development was my next door neighbour ... and so that really does make me empathise with you, but I also have to think about the greater good for the future of the community,” she said.

“What’s playing around in my mind is if I say no to this, is it actually saying no to encouraging affordable and diverse housing growth in the Morley Activity Centre?

“This is a really tough decision for me and I want to say thank you to all of the Hewton Street residents.”