Image
Camera IconImage Credit: Supplied/Supplied

City of Stirling: revitalisation plans for Beaufort Street causes tension at council

Kate LeaverStirling Times

TENSIONS were high over plans for a revitalisation of Beaufort Street at last week’s Stirling council meeting.

On the cards since 2013, the Beaufort Street Activity Corridor is a City of Stirling plan to increase density and urban growth and plans to link the city centre with public transport options.

Mt Lawley Heritage society president and former Stirling councillor Paul Collins expressed concerns about the preservation of heritage buildings on Beaufort Street in Inglewood.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

“How will we know it’s us without our past?” Mr Collins said in public question time, quoting John Steinbeck’s classic The Grapes of Wrath.

Councillors voted for an alternative recommendation aimed at preserving the heritage of the street of buildings built before 1960, and limit all heights in the Inglewood Town Centre to four storeys.

Mr Collins said the Mt Lawley Society was pleased with the outcome to preserve the character of the street.

“ The Society looks forward to favourable consideration by the Minister for Planning and will be calling on the Minister and local Members of Parliament for support,” he said.“The Society also believes public open space will become increasingly important with the significant increase in density.”

Subiaco architect Kim Doepel said minority pressure had “thwarted” the objectives of the Beaufort Street revitalisation.

“Once again, minority pressure has been exhorted to foil well thought out planning objectives that could have made Inglewood the jewel in the City,” he said.

“The professional staff recommendation was overruled which will result in underdevelopment and deprive vitality, employment and housing affordability with diversity.”