The Victorian Civil and Administration Tribunal has given the green light to a medium-density housing development on the former Lalor Park Primary School site, despite objections from neighbours and Whittlesea council.
The primary school merged with Lalor West Primary to form Lalor Gardens Primary School in 2011. The Education Department eventually levelled the two-hectare Linoak Avenue site, selling it in July 2013 for almost $7 million.
Earlier this year, the new owners lodged an application with Whittlesea council for a permit to build 87 houses of two, three and four bedrooms, mostly attached dwelling or apartment-style units, about 23 per cent of which were proposed to be double storey.
When the plans were advertised, the council received 23 objections and a petition with 42 signatures, most objecting to the proposal as an overdevelopment of the site.
Whittlesea officers agreed and told the developers of their concerns.
“The proposal fails to satisfy many of the objectives relating to neighbourhood character, dwelling density, building height, site coverage, landscaping and design detailing,” council officers concluded in a February report. “It is considered the proposal will have a detrimental impact on the character of the neighbourhood and, accordingly, refusal of the application is recommended.”
Councillors agreed, but VCAT member Philip Martin overrode both officers and elected representatives last month, saying the site presented too good an opportunity to address the lack of housing at Lalor.
“The tribunal acknowledges that the local community may well have mixed feelings about the closure of the primary school. However, that decision has been made, the site is now vacant and there is no doubt that this is an unusually large single-lot redevelopment opportunity for the housing stock of Lalor,” Mr Martin wrote in his VCAT decision.
He stated as the area was already established, with good access to services and public transport, and zoned to allow for more intensive residential density in the future, the mix of single and double-storey houses was appropriate.
North-east ward councillor Steven Kozmevski was disappointed with the tribunal outcome. “VCAT tends to favour the developers; it’s pretty disappointing,” he said.
