By Alesha Capone
Werribee residents say they are “over the moon” after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) refused plans to build a bottleshop near their homes.
The tribunal issued a decision to knock back the proposal last month, after a hearing in September.
VCAT declined Princes Wattle Pty Ltd’s plan to construct a two-storey Dan Murphy’s bottleshop, along with 32 car parks and three “click and collect” vehicle spaces, at 18-20 and 22 Princes Highway, which is near Wattle Avenue.
The store’s proposed opening hours were 9am to 9pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 9pm Sunday.
Princes Wattle Pty Ltd took the matter to VCAT after Wyndham council refused the planning permit earlier this year.
When the matter was heard by the council in August, 18 objections from nearby residents were lodged about the botleshop’s proposed design, in addition to the noise and anti-social behaviour it could have generated.
The residents also expressed fears about additional traffic generated by the bottleshop and a lack of “safe car parking”.
One of the residents who objected to the bottleshop plan, Brian Gosney, spoke to the VCAT hearing.
Mr Gosney said he and other residents were “extremely happy” with the VCAT decision.
VCAT Member Tracey Bilston-McGillen said she decided to refuse the bottleshop development “as the proposed design fails to achieve policies that guide the development of the (surrounding) activity centre and this site”.
Ms Bilston-McGillen said that if built, the bottleshop building would have essentially looked like “a bland box that has been spruced up visually with the coloured renders”.
She said that the Princes Highway site was designated as a “gateway” to Werribee in Wyndham’s planning scheme and questioned why “mediocracy” in design would be acceptable at such a location.
Ms Bilston-McGillen also said she was not persuaded that the bottleshop’s arrangements for loading, click and collect car spaces, some car spaces and pedestrian access would have been safe.
