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Media Release
07
October 2009
Council moves to protect City’s historic buildings, streets and open spaces
The Melbourne City Council will move to strengthen planning controls in a bid to protect the city’s world-
class laneways from overdevelopment.
Last night’s Planning Committee resolved to write to the State Government requesting changes to the
Melbourne Planning Scheme.
Committee chair Peter Clarke said there had been an increasing number of applications to develop towers
on small, narrow sites of 200 square metres which had recently been approved by either the Victorian Civil
and Administrative Tribunal or the Department of Planning and Community Development.
“The character of our CBD
buildings, streets, and public
spaces have aligned to create a complex and
attractive urban environment, giving Melbourne a fantastic city centre possessing unique charm and
a
pleasant street level environment and this Council is determined to keep that character,” Cr Clarke said.
“We are
seeing an increasing number of applications for out-of-scale developments on small sites with
narrow frontages.
“Recent examples include approved applications for developments at 280 & 290 Little Lonsdale Street and
9-11 Exploration Lane.
“I will be requesting that the Minister for Planning make the necessary changes to the Urban Design within
the Capital City Zone policy
under the Planning Scheme which will give us greater management
powers
when it comes to proposed developments on small sites.
“Council’s proposed amendment to the policy will not alter its intent but will clarify its application,” Cr Clarke
said.
“We want to ensure minimum daylight access to the streets and the lower levels of the buildings and will also
reduce extreme wind downdrafts into the streets.
“The scale and character of some of these precincts are being undermined by a growing number of
development proposals out of scale with the street on which it is located.
“These over-scaled developments often impinge on neighbouring sites and in the long term will compromise
future good development on those sites.
“If these developments continue unchecked, the quality of these precincts will be progressively degraded in
terms of access to daylight to the streets and to the lower levels of the buildings themselves,” Cr Clarke
said.
In February Council will commence a comprehensive CBD Built Form review addressing the built form,
capacity, amenity, and the character of the public domain including the precincts with little streets and sites
as part of the Review of the Melbourne Planning Scheme.
Media contact: Phil Buckley, Media Adviser, Tel: 9658 8426 / 0409 425873
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