Council Refuses Golden Age’s Brighton Plans

Prolific Victorian developer Golden Age Group’s plans for a site in Brighton have hit a hurdle with the council refusing permission for its two applications.

The developer submitted an application for subdivision on a site at 47 South Road and an application for developing a masterplanned community on the site comprising 84 two- and three-bedroom homes with the City of Bayside.

Brighton, long one of the most desirable addresses in Melbourne, is 11km south-east of the CBD.

The council’s Planning and Amenity Delegated Committee refused both applications at its December 11 meeting, despite the City of Bayside council's planning officers recommending that the applications be approved.

There were 105 objections to the development application and 54 to the subdivision application. 

Concerns were raised about noise levels, the impact on existing heritage properties, the issue of inadequate trunk infrastructure to support the project, overdevelopment, overshadowing and overlooking considerations.

The plans by Carr Architects included the 84 homes on 75 per cent of the 32,926sq m site plus 172 car parking spaces and 17 bicycle spaces within 14 buildings.

Council records said that the cost of the project was more than $50 million but as it did not include social housing provisions it was ineligible to be submitted to the fasttrack process with the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning. 

The committee said that the proposal failed to implement the Municipal Planning Strategy and Planning Policy Framework or abide by the Bayside Planning Scheme in terms of roof form, material diversity within the streetscape, respecting the neighbouring building forms and scale and facades.

It also said that the proposal did not comply with regards to public open space, diversity of homes, neighbourhood character, traffic outcomes, urban design outcomes and built form. 

▲ A render of part of the project filed by Golden Age Group for a site in Brighton and rejected by the City of Bayside.

Councillor Samuel King proposed a two part motion, seconded by deputy mayor Alex del Porto, to refuse permission and to engage appropriate legal representation and expert evidence should the matter proceed to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

This and a similar one refuse permission for the second application for the subdivision of the site were unanimously carried.

Golden Age Group was contacted by The Urban Developer but declined to comment.