VICTORIA’S peak planning body has overturned a Wyndham Council decision to refuse a permit for four double-storey units in Point Cook.
Councillors rejected a proposal for the development in Ancona Court last November despite planning officers advising that the application met the conditions outlined in the city’s planning scheme.
Councillors had argued the proposed development would not be in keeping with neighbourhood character and would cause issues for emergency services trying to access the street.
Cr John Menegazzo said at the time it was likely the developer would appeal to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, but that it was worth “taking the punt”.
In ruling in favour of the applicant, VCAT member Christina Fong argued the development “was in keeping” with the character of the neighbourhood.
Wyndham chief executive Kerry Thompson said the council had spent $3000 defending its decision, but could not have
pre-empted the outcome of the tribunal hearing.
Ancona Court resident Martin Janse Van Rensburg said he felt let down by the VCAT process.
“We had hoped common sense would prevail. In Wyndham multi-unit developments aren’t common.
“When we bought [our] land we checked the covenants very closely to make sure no one could build more than one house on a block of land in the street.”
Mr Janse Van Rensburg said the development would increase the number of houses in the street by 25per cent.
He said many residents were already considering selling up.
“The prosperity of the people in the court has been diminished because the value of our properties has gone down,” he said.
