‘When I went to the (Mosman Park) council on June 1 and asked when were we consulted about in the change to the town planning scheme to allow garage boundaries within one-metre, I was told it was advertised in newspapers on April 16 and that it would be law on July 6,’ said residents’ spokeswoman Jenna Ledgerwood, of Chipperfield Court.
Houses in her street have five-metre rear setbacks next to the former Buckland Hill Special School site where Government developer LandCorp proposes 26 lots of 279sqm-340sqm, several of which will have garages directly opening to a central laneway.
Mrs Ledgerwood said residents acknowledged Perth needed higher density housing and LandCorp was under pressure to contribute to dwindling State Government coffers.
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READ NOWHowever, they question the speed at which LandCorp is seeking changes to the council’s planning rules so The Crest could conform to WA Planning Commission approval for the project, which was given a year before residents got a council consultation letter on June 25.
At Mosman Park’s May meeting, it was agreed to advertise LandCorp’s draft design for The Crest for three weeks and request the developer build a roundabout and lower fence heights.
Mayor Ron Norris said: ‘As far as the council is concerned the (town’s) planning scheme allows it to be subdivided and the plan conforms, so from a council aspect there’s not much we can do and the only issue we have is traffic on McCabe Street and we’ve requested LandCorp to carry that out.’
LandCorp metropolitan general manager Luke Willcock said it was up to the council to consider changing The Crest draft design, after the land had been zoned R30 since 2006.
‘The Planning Policy for The Crest allows for a one-metre setback for the ground floor and a four-metre setback for the first floor,’ he said.
Ratepayers will discuss The Crest with LandCorp at the council tomorrow at 6pm.