RATEPAYERS are set to have their say on the City of Bayswater’s draft local planning strategy which aims to guide planning and development for the next decade.
The council adopted the strategy for public advertising at its April 30 meeting but still needs approval for advertising from the WA Planning Commission.
The strategy features planning principles, objectives, strategies and actions required to implement the strategic plan for the City.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWIt includes new structure plans for Guildford Road, Walter Road West, Noranda district centre, Beaufort Street, Walter Road East shopping precinct and Beechboro Road shopping precinct, rezoning of high-amenity areas in Maylands, Morley, Bedford and Embleton, review of industrial areas, conservation of history, parking and urban design guidelines.
The strategy also includes the outcomes of the Building Bayswater engagement process between November 2017 and March 2018.
Groups, a community panel and the wider community were part of the process that involved pop-up sessions, online questionnaires and polls.
Population growth is one of the key issues listed in the strategy, as the City expects population to increase by 12 per cent by 2026.
The City’s population is expected to increase from 66,050 (2016 Census data) to 75,200, according to the commission’s WA Tomorrow (2015) population projections.
Officers have identified areas where densities could be increased to accommodate the projected growth through the proposed structure plans and rezoning.
The strategy also recommended that a policy be developed to encourage interim uses for empty spaces in the Bayswater industrial precinct, review land uses and investigate development control mechanisms in Town Planning Scheme 24 to limit the development of noxious industries like concrete batching plants.
Other recommendations include the development of design guidelines for heritage protection areas, review incentives for conservation of heritage places, development of traffic plans, review of the cash-in-lieu for car parking policy and advocate for the Morley-Ellenbrook line’s Morley station to be located in the activity centre.
According to an officer’s report, other local governments have waited one to five years for approval to advertise.
Any changes by the commission will be included into the draft before City officers develop a report for the council to determine the methodology of public advertising and prepare a community engagement plan.
The council will then forward the completed strategy to the commission and Planning Minister Rita Saffioti who will make the final decision.
The City’s proposed rezoning
– Maylands: a mix of R50 to R60, with the areas of R60 along major roads, close to the activity centre or parks. The areas recommended to be rezoned are the area north of the railway line
between the Maylands Character Protection Area and the existing Maylands Activity Centre.
– Bedford: R80 in surrounding areas of high amenity, including the Beaufort Street corridor.
– Morley: R80 in a portion of the Walter Road corridor.
– Embleton: R50 in the Collier Road corridor.