A Point Cook shopping centre is refusing to back down after Wyndham council knocked back its expansion plans for a second time.
Sanctuary Lakes Shopping Centre submitted an application to add 12 stores to its centre, as well as expansion of the existing Coles and medical centre.
The proposal was initially rejected by the council in Spetember last year because it failed to provide sufficient carparks.
At a “compulsory conference” between council officers and centre management at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in February this year a settlement was reached, with the centre offering to develop land next door at Sanctuary Lakes Hotel for more parking spaces. The hotel is also owned by the centre’s parent company.
But at last week’s council meeting, councillors rejected the settlement.
Cr Josh Gilligan said the proposal failed to provide sufficient parking, would increase the pressure on on-street parking, and does not comply with the amenity of the area.
Cr Kim McAliney agreed, saying that if the council was to go ahead with the settlement, it would be setting a precedent for future applications.
A spokesman for the shopping centre slammed the council, saying the decision by the councillors was at odds with its own traffic engineers.
“The disappointing aspect is that the planning officers clearly had no authority at mediation and therefore was a waste of time,” he said.
The application will return to VCAT on March 31, where a final decision will be made.
