General News
17 April, 2023
Servo developer to appeal council vote
The Dooen Road servo battle is set to play out at a tribunal after news the developer is to appeal against Horsham Rural City Council’s rejection of its plan last month. Spectrum Retail Group said it was “disappointing and surprising” to see...
The Dooen Road servo battle is set to play out at a tribunal after news the developer is to appeal against Horsham Rural City Council’s rejection of its plan last month.
Spectrum Retail Group said it was “disappointing and surprising” to see permission refused for it to build a service station and 7/11 convenience store at the site of theexisting Action Aids Australia mobility aids shop.
SRG development director Youil Adam said the corporation had filed an appeal withthe Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
“Overwhelmingly, the council’s feedback on the development was positive. hence why it was recommended to be approved, so it was disappointing and surprising to see the planning permit refused,” Mr Adam said.
“We believe in this development and have met all the regulations and requirements for the development of service stations in Australia.”
He said Spectrum had listened to feedback during talks with council officers.
“We held pre-lodgement meetings and designed the development with their feedback and residents’ feedback in mind,” he said.
Mr Adam said the next step would be an attempt at mediation between the developer and council.
“If no outcome is reached, it goes to a hearing and will be decided by the relevant VCAT member,” he said.
Neighbours at the southern end of Dooen Road had for months objected to the development bid, and the decision towithhold planning permissionwas met with applause at the council meeting.
Members of the public had been warnedseveral times by mayor Robyn Gulline to “be respectful” and refrain from interjecting while the issue was under discussion - but they would not be silenced once the deciding vote was cast.
With Cr Bob Redden not present, councillors voted three in favour (Cr Gulline, Cr Les Power and Cr Penny Flynn) and three against (Cr Ian Ross, Cr Claudia Haenel and Cr David Bowe), before Cr Gulline switched her voteto break the deadlock.
Cr Haenel said she had not heard one person say they thought the project would benefit them.
Cr Ross said a service station’s impact on the quality of life of local residents was one of his key concerns, both for its compounding of traffic congestion in the area and for the likelihood that it would create a “constant release of volatile fuels”.
“You can build as many play parks as you like but it won’t counter the liveability of the day-to-day grind of people just trying to get to work and from work and drop the children off and get to their activities,” he said.
Cr Bowe echoed these comments, questioning the compatibility of a service station with the area’s heritage residences, and adding that building a 16th service station in Horsham could compromise the viability of existing operators.
“There was a lot of passion and feeling in the room,” Cr Gulline said afterwards.
She said the developers’ vision would have been a legitimate use for the land – a service station had stood on the site in the past – but council officers had recommended limiting its operating hours and the height of its advertising signs and requiring all lights to be switched off when the business was not in use.
Vic Roads had added further conditions preventing access by B-doubles and restricting deliveries of fuel to off-peak periods.
Cr Power asked what costs council might face if the applicant referred the decision to VCAT.
HRCC director of communities and place Kevin O’Brien said this could vary from $6000 to $15,000, depending on the number of objectors involved and the duration of the VCAT panel’s deliberation.