By Alesha Capone
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has paved the way for 14 double-storey dwellings to be built at a vacant site in Hoppers Crossing, in opposition to a council decision on the matter.
The tribunal issued its decision to allow the construction of the dwellings at 621 Tarneit Road, last month.
Senior VCAT member Rachel Naylor said that the developer had initially sought planning permission for 14 dwellings with a 9.28 metre front setback from the road.
Ms Naylor said the council refused this because it hopes to create a service road, using the space in front of properties located on the east side of Tarneit Road.
The developers had since amended their design and increased the front setback of the development to 18 metres from the road.
Ms Naylor said there were no planning controls or policies in the Wyndham planning scheme to recognise the council’s desire to construct a service road along parts of Tarneit Road in the future.
She said the proposed 14 dwellings were of an architectural style similar to other houses in the broader Tarneit neighbourhood, and that the open space planned for each of the dwellings was “of a reasonable size”.
“For all of these reasons, the proposal is respectful of the neighbourhood character,” she said.
