East Village

East Village is a 25 hectare area of land located on the south-east corner of the intersection of North Road and East Boundary Road. The land consists of the Virginia Park Business Centre, the former Bosch brakes factory and a number of smaller industrial and commercial properties fronting North Road.

Once an important industrial area, the East Village precinct has seen the departure of many large-scale manufacturing businesses in recent decades. There is now an opportunity to renew the precinct and allow East Village to become an environmentally sustainable and innovative mixed-use area with a focus on employment and education.

Glen Eira City Council has been working in partnership with the State Government’s Victorian Planning Authority (VPA), landowners and the East Village Community Reference Group, to form a future plan for the site.

Together we have prepared a range of documents including a Structure Plan to outline the vision for the precinct and guide all future development. These form the basis of a proposed amendment to the Glen Eira Planning Scheme.

Council considered these documents at the 23 October 2018 meeting and determined to seek authorisation from the Minister for Planning to prepare and exhibit the East Village Planning Scheme Amendment.

The VPA has provided Council advice throughout the preparation of the Planning Scheme Amendment. Council supports this advice and the provisions are consistent with the overall intended outcomes sought by the VPA which include planning for a sustainable mixed-use precinct with a focus on innovative employment and education opportunities, diverse housing, sustainability, and high-quality green spaces, public places, transport and retail.

There are some matters however in which Council has not supported the advice of the VPA and has made changes to the Schedule to the Comprehensive Development Zone and Comprehensive Development Plan.

These key changes include:

Overall more restrictive wording to the controls, providing more certainty to residents and Council.
Inclusion of an overshadowing control over public open space.
Inclusion of a traffic, parking and access impact assessment of the Cobar Street/North Road/Crosbie Road intersection.
Additional application requirements for town planning applications within the precinct.
An additional condition controlling residential uses in mixed use and retail areas.

The purpose of the Section 173 Agreements

What is a Section 173 Agreement?

Council has negotiated an agreement with the East Village landowners, known as a Section 173 Agreement. This is an agreement under Section 173 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987. Its purpose is to control the use and development of the land to achieve other planning objectives in relation to the land.

Like other agreements, a Section 173 Agreement is a legal contract. However, the benefit of a Section 173 Agreement is that it can be recorded on the title to the land so that the owner’s obligations under the agreement bind future owners and occupiers of the land.

The East Village Amendment includes two Section 173 Agreements:

Affordable Housing Agreement under Section 173 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987
This Agreement sets out the landowner requirements for the provision of affordable housing within the precinct. It sets out the landowner’s specific obligations in regards to:
- Affordable housing contribution
- Affordable housing proposal
- Staging of affordable housing contribution
- Transfer of land to Council
Agreement under Section 173 of the Planning and Environment Act
This Agreement sets out the landowner’s obligations in regards to:
- Public Open Space
- Drainage System
- Environmental Sustainability
- Connector Roads

What is the Escrow Deed?

The purpose of the Escrow Deed is to ensure that the Section 173 Agreements are put on hold until the planning scheme amendment is approved.

Submissions

Submission closed Wednesday 9 October 2019

Your feedback is important to Council and submissions were welcome during the exhibition period.

Panel hearing

The Panel Hearing for the Amendment was held from 2 December to 13 December 2019.

Council has received the Panel Report from Planning Panels Victoria detailing their recommendations for the East Village Precinct. A summary of key recommendations that align with Council’s position and also recommendations for Council to consider are outlined below.

Key recommendations that align with Council’s position

Mandatory height limits for the east and south residential precincts — 3 storeys for the east and 4 storeys for the south
Mandatory winter shadow controls for Central Park
The areas along East Boundary and North Roads will be for employment uses
Employment uses at first floor level will be encouraged in mixed-use buildings, and will require a permit for residential use

Key recommendations for Council to consider

A discretionary limit of 3,000 dwellings for East Village, which can be increased through a planning permit process. However, a requirement for additional affordable housing provision is recommended to be applied if increased
Discretionary building heights for the mixed-use and commercial areas of East Village

The Panel concludes the Amendment C155 be adopted as exhibited, subject to further recommendations contained in the report.

The report includes a recommendation which requires Council to undertake further work. Once this has been completed the Panel Report will be considered at Council meeting, anticipated for May/June 2020.

The Panel's report is not binding for Council, or the Minister, but it must be considered before Council.