RESIDENTS opposing the development of a church for 800 people in a quiet Werribee street hope precedence will encourage the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to reverse Wyndham council’s decision to give the building the green light.
In May, the council approved a planning permit for the Werribee Gospel Trust church by five votes to four and imposed 49 conditions before construction could begin.
The permit allows the Plymouth Brethren church to build its sixth worship hall in Wyndham on a 1.2-hectare site on Duncans Road near Filmont Drive, despite 81 objections.
The residents have since appealed to VCAT. Spokesman Paul Yankos said residents hoped VCAT’s decision to knock back the trust’s 2009 application for a worship hall in Manor Lakes would work in their favour.
VCAT ruled the church could not be built in the area because the council had a policy of not allowing buildings for non-residential uses in residential zones.
Mr Yankos said residents did not object to the development because it was a church, but because of the impact it would have on surrounding streets.
He said the conditions imposed by the council did not address concerns about traffic and noise.
Church spokesman Tony Cook said the group had tried to address residents’ concerns but they had a right to appeal the decision.
The council’s acting chief executive Kelly Grigsby said the decision to grant the permit followed a detailed assessment of the application over several months.
