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Meltham residents to have say on proposed amendments to City of Bayswater town planning scheme

Kristie LimEastern Reporter

MELTHAM residents will have their say on proposed amendments to the City of Bayswater’s town planning scheme in a bid to improve developments aligned with a developer-led structure plan.

At last night’s committee meeting, Bayswater council initiated a public consultation process for several re-zonings of properties in the Meltham station precinct and the implementation of Special Control Area 15 which included design and development requirements.

This followed the council’s December decision to consider funding $150,000 for further detailed planning in the 2018-19 budget of the remaining 400m around the station that was not covered by developer Pindan’s Meltham Station Precinct Structure Plan (MSPSP).

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The WA Planning Commission approved the MSPSP in October which aimed to increase density within 300m of the station.

According to an officer’s report, the amendments would address key issues expressed by the community on the plan including a need for high quality development, buildings with setbacks to reduce visual impact of building bulk and prevention of the loss of trees.

All costs would be paid by developers.

Councillor Lorna Clarke said the proposed changes to Town Planning Scheme No.24 was a “proactive step” that gave residents some certainty.

“It adds all the planning detail that needs to go around this area and actually make it liveable, revitalised and open up some closed shops,” she said.

“I think we have got to make sure that we don’t build a concrete jungle here, so my message again is aim higher.”

Future Bayswater chair Paul Shanahan, who has lived near the station since 2003, said he wanted to see the council leverage future opportunities provided by the Forrestfield Airport Link and Metronet projects.

“I believe we need increased density around the station with the allowance of height so that we have an opportunity to get more people into the area but also providing opportunities in development that does not result in density being spread across the entire suburb,” he said.

“This structure plan is not just what the current generation wants but it is also about what future generations will need.”

Meltham resident Dinah Watt, who lived on Grafton Road for 26 years, said in the time her family lived in Meltham they saw “virtually nothing” to revitalise the area.

“For a local government that wants to be known as the Garden City and is seeking to prioritise the tree canopy and sustainability, it seems appropriate to prioritise building up into the area around transport hubs rather than poor subdivisions that wipe out the tree canopy,” she said.

“The proposed amendments designated a four to six storey building next to us while our lot will be much lower density – we have no issue with this.”

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