Bentleigh Major Activity Centre Structure Plan

The Structure Plan enables us to plan for population increase by accommodating new development with defined heights and setbacks, while maintaining the historic character of the Centre.

Local and State Governments use structure plans to make decisions about developments, investments, and infrastructure improvements. Structure plans can also help community members and developers understand what changes are expected and allowed in certain areas.

Download the Bentleigh Major Activity Centre Structure Plan 2024 [PDF 12.6Mb].

The vision of the Bentleigh Major Activity Centre Structure Plan

“Bentleigh will be an accessible, sustainable, local shopping destination with a vibrant café and restaurant culture. It will embrace its historic character and provide a range of local community, employment, housing, and entertainment opportunities.

The Centre will maintain its community feel with open space, places for people to meet and gather, and a broad range of local businesses, all of which will meet the needs of a diverse community.”

The Structure Plan delivers on Council’s response to the climate emergency. In land use terms, it provides for sustainable growth by enabling higher densities closer to shops, services, and public transport. The Structure Plan supports additional employment-generating spaces that allow people to work closer to where they live, or work in a location with good access to public transport.

In transport terms, increased development density close to good public transport reduces car dependency. The Structure Plan recognises the need for and supports improvements to the pedestrian environment to make walking a more attractive option.

The Structure Plan considers Bentleigh’s future land use, sustainability, open space, heritage, transport, and placemaking. It also delivers outcomes for other strategies, including Our Climate Emergency Response Strategy 2021–2025, Integrated Transport Strategy, Parking Policy, Urban Forest Strategy and Open Space Strategy. 

Current status

The Bentleigh Major Activity Centre Structure Plan 2024 was approved by Council on Thursday 13 June 2024.

Subsequently, Council endorsed the planning scheme amendment to incorporate the objectives of the Structure Plan into the Glen Eira Planning Scheme on Tuesday 23 July 2024.

Council officers have submitted the amendment request to the Department of Transport and Planning for the Minister's authorisation.

Interim planning controls

The Department of Transport and Planning has provided written confirmation that the interim Design and Development Overlays (DDOs) in Bentleigh, Carnegie and Elsternwick Major Activity Centres have been extended to 30 April 2025.

These interim DDOs provide ongoing height and setback controls for the Commercial and Mixed Use Zones in the three centres. The controls in Carnegie and Bentleigh are mandatory and in Elsternwick, they are discretionary. The interim DDOs have been in place since 2018 and extended six times. This most recent extension was granted because Council was able to demonstrate progress with our strategic planning work; in particular, the adoption of the Housing Strategy and preparation of the new structure plans.

To find out more on the Bentleigh interim Design and Development Overlays, visit the Department of Transport and Planning's website.