Shop plan parked

By Kath Gannaway
PLANNED expansion of the Healesville Walk shopping complex has been shelved.
Healesville Walk owners Australand have withdrawn a planning application which, if approved, would have increased the existing retail space from 4,783 square metres to 5,511 square metres, reduced on-site parking and introduced parking along the rear of the current Coles building in River Street.
Australand retail general manager Perry Macdonald said the main reason for the planned expansion was to provide the Coles supermarket with additional space.
“Coles decided not to proceed with that expansion,” he said.
“We are now currently looking at alternative plans which would include building the shops onto the Maroondah Highway frontage (backing on to French’s Laundry), which we have approval for, and refurbishing the existing centre,” he said.
If Australand proceeds with the alternative plans they would include an upgrade of the public toilet facilities at the centre he said.
Mr Macdonald said there had been some objections lodged with Yarra Ranges Council in opposition to the advertised expansion and associated car parking and that a planned consultation meeting was now obsolete.
“It (the change of plans) is disappointing from our perspective, but we will work on an alternative scheme to see whether we can still proceed with further with the refurbishment and minor expansion,” he said.