CITY of Belmont chief executive John Christie says it is premature for the council to have a position on a proposal for a section of Ascot swampland to be turned in houses.
LandCorp is proposing to turn Lot 603 Fauntleroy Avenue into a “quality residential development” by rezoning the area and changing the level of density permitted.
Mr Christie said as the lot was within Development Area 8 under the City of Belmont’s Local Planning Scheme Number 15, it meant the development was not permitted unless a structure plan had been prepared for the area.
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READ NOW“LandCorp as the owner of Lot 603 is progressing the structure planning work,” he said.
“The City has the role of assessing and determining if the structure plan should be approved or refused.
“As the Structure Plan encompassing Lot 603 has not been prepared, it is premature for the City to comment on whether the project will be supported.”
LandCorp acting chief executive Dean Mudford previously stated that the rezoning of the area would help the City reach infill targets.
Mr Christie said the State Government had set a target of 6100 new dwellings to be developed within the City of Belmont by 2031.
“A supporting document to the Local Planning Scheme is the Local Housing Strategy which outlines suitable areas for infill and the rationale behind it – these include a mix of Development Areas, Special Development Precincts, the Mixed Use zone and Residential zoned land.”
A group of Ascot residents voiced their concerns about the development to the Southern Gazette as they believed it would have a negative impact on the surrounding community.
Mr Christie said the City had a “quasi-judicial” role in determining whether to adopt the structure plan so it was inappropriate for the them to represent the particular views of people regardless of whether they are campaigning for or against the proposal.
“The City of Belmont always works with landowners and the local community to ensure good planning outcomes for all following extensive consultation,” he said.
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