The Yarra Ranges Council “reluctantly” voted to approve the unpopular Woolworths expansion in the Yarra Junction Shopping Centre.
The decision was made in the face of strong push back from business owners and community members, bolstered by a petition with 889 signatures and 54 formal objections made to council.
Council mayor Cr Jim child said he felt for the community and that in an ideal world, the application would be refused.
“We can sit here as a council and refuse this application, everyone can go home happy, the mayor and ward councillors have done the right thing.
“But I can’t do that, because it would be against the planning scheme which we govern, it would be against the original strategy plan.”
The planning application, submitted by retail property service provider RetPro, would see the expansion of the Woolworths kick out the Cortella discount store, swallow up the arcade and move shopfronts to face the car park.
Yarra Junction Community Group Monica Blanchfield spoke at the meeting and urged the council to reject the application as it was contrary to the Yarra Junction Place Plan’s vision, of which she helped curate.
“We clearly do not want to have our shops in the car park. We want to have a nice main street and we are disappointed that the place plan was used against it to justify this whole design.”
But Yarra Ranges Council planning and sustainable futures director Kath McClusky said the Yarra Junction Place Plan “is not incorporated into the planning scheme”.
“We do rely on the planning controls that are set out in the local and state policy. As part of the application, the officers have looked at the design outcomes and what we can do and what we can reasonably ask the developer to do in this instance,” Ms McClusky said.
The Yarra Junction Place Plan document states its purpose is to “work alongside existing planning rules to guide development decisions”, with one of its actions aiming to “develop township identity and character”.
Ms Blanchfield came up with an alternative plan, which would have the shopfronts face onto the main street and utilise the empty square next to the centre.
“We are aware that keeping the arcade is probably not possible. But there is another option. Face the shops to the main street and the currently empty square on the main street can become a new space to gather and connect.”
Paul Little, a planning consultant representing the owner of the Yarra Junction Shopping Centre from law firm Planning and Property Partners, agreed that Ms Monica’s idea was an “attractive proposition”.
“Our client would strongly support enhancement of that area as a feature, a gathering point for the community in the event that that emanates from this proposal,” Mr Little said.
But he said the planning application would improve retail offerings, provide additional employment and in turn enhance Yarra Junction.
“A new and improved retail offering will improve the activity centre. It will improve the quality of offering for local residents.”
Cr Child said this application “has weighed heavily” on himself and the other councillors.
“I feel for those tenants, their business has been disrupted.”
“As councillors, we’re between a rock and a hard place, we have to make a decision tonight in regards to what’s before us and what actually guides us, the planning scheme.
“That’s why I have to say I’m a reluctantly supporting this recommendation.”
The approval was moved unanimously.
