At a Council Meeting on Tuesday 5 February, Councillors unanimously voted to issue a Notice of Refusal to Grant a Planning Permit for a 14-storey development at 10–16 Selwyn Street, Elsternwick.

The application for a 14-storey development comprising of a supermarket, café, place of assembly and dwellings was advertised to the surrounding community. Council received 187 objections, as well as a petition with 1,787 signatures.

Glen Eira Mayor Cr Jamie Hyams said although it is accepted that the site can support a higher level of development, the proposal did not appropriately respond to the relevant provisions of the Glen Eira Planning Scheme.

“The height, form, scale and design detail of the proposed development is excessive and will appear overly dominant from the immediate surrounding streets and in views along Glen Huntly Road,” he said.

“The design quality of the design does not elevate to the bar of ‘architectural design excellence’ to support such a large development on the land.

“In addition, the relationship of the uses at ground level within the proposed building and the dominance of car use within Selwyn Street would significantly compromise the role of this street as a cultural precinct.”

Cr Hyams said the development would also present amenity impacts to adjoining properties, particularly noise from the supermarket plant equipment.

“There will also be an impact to the operation of the road network, including road and tram movements,” he said.

Cr Hyams said Council acknowledges that there is a positive aspect of the proposal, with the inclusion of a place of assembly which incorporates a library and multipurpose spaces.

“However, the broader impact of the proposal outweighed the benefits that this would have for the community,” he said.