Salter Point residents complain about Letchworth Centre Avenue cafe which was approved four months ago

Salter Point residents have questioned the City of South Perth council over a cafe extension city staff approved nearly four months ago.

In September the City approved an application to convert a vacant building at 2/20-22 Letchworth Centre Avenue as coffee shop Coffee Connections at the front and use a rear mezzanine area as a storage space.

It was approved by council staff under delegated authority, meaning it did not come to the council.

But several residents raised concerns over Letchworth Centre Avenue’s history of “parking chaos” during public question time at the December 12 council meeting.

Resident Robinson Eliezer said the street had “acute parking problems” and the new cafe would make parking “untenable” for his family and visitors who parked in the road’s marked bays.

“During the evenings and weekends when the (neighbouring) cafe Raktacino is operating, there is absolutely no parking available along the entire streets adjoining my house,” he said.

“I would strongly recommend that this approval should be looked at again in its entirety.”

Development and community services director Donna Shaw said the street’s parking situation had been “considered” but it would be reviewed.

“The City intends to review parking restrictions more broadly, and will therefore include the Letchworth Centre and the surrounding streets as part of that review to consider whether or not there needs to be additional on street parking restrictions,” she said.

Mr Eliezer began to argue against Ms Shaw’s response but was interrupted by mayor Greg Milner, who said public question time was “not a forum for debate”.

But Mr Eliezer continued to argue, prompting Mr Milner to threaten to turn off his microphone.

“Mr Eliezer, please, it’s not a forum for backchatting,” Mr Milner said.

Letchworth Centre Avenue resident Bruce Bunton also voiced his frustrations over parking and asked why the Salter Point community had not been consulted.

Ms Shaw said consultation had been “undertaken in accordance with local planning policy”.

Resident Naomi Smith asked how the council could “be sure” it received all submissions given there were website issues during the public consultation period.

“Not one person I know was able to submit by the link on the website as was instructed by the letter,” Ms Smith said.

But Ms Shaw said the City had received seven submissions via its website, email and mail and provided “additional time” to receive all submissions.

“We went through the back end of the system once we were aware that there was an issue with lodging online with our business systems to make sure that any submissions that were in the back end of the system were captured,” Ms Shaw said.