Council Minutes - Town of Cambridge

COUNCIL MINUTES
TUESDAY 20 DECEMBER 2011
Comment
Land Use
The subject site is zoned 'Local Centre' under Town Planning Scheme No. 1 and falls within the
Wembley Planning Precinct. Policy 6.4 of the Town Planning Scheme Policy Manual prescribes
the development standards for all commercial development in this precinct and has been used
to assess the application. The Wembley Centre has a range of uses and would best be
described as a commercial strip or town centre. The uses proposed are precisely what is
expected in the area and considered compatible to surrounding land uses and the intent and
function of the centre. The inclusion of shops and cafes at the ground floor level will provide a
continuation of retail activity along this portion of Cambridge Street and a link to the notion of a
town centre. The consulting rooms reintroduce a medical practitioner into the town centre (lost
when the Post Office Medical Centre site was redeveloped). The twenty two proposed
dwellings will provide 24 hour occupancy of the site and add to the vibrancy of the centre.
Building Design
The proposed development comprises two buildings separated by a green space. The front
(southern) building is five storeys high with the fourth and fifth storeys comprising residential
apartments. These are set back from the Cambridge Street frontage so that the building reads
as three storeys at street level. The building has a glass façade facing Cambridge Street and a
canopy protruding over the footpath. The ground floor will contain shops and cafes facing onto
Cambridge Street as well as incorporating an alfresco laneway through to the rear of the
development and along the access way to provide a pedestrian route through to Jersey Street.
The rear (northern) building is four storeys with the fourth storey having six residential
apartments. These are set back from the rear boundary in accordance with setback provisions
for residential buildings at an R40 density coding. Along the side boundaries, the building will
be constructed boundary to boundary.
Adjoining neighbours to the rear have raised concerns over the potential loss of privacy from
the proposed residential dwellings at the rear of the development. It is noted that these
dwellings meet the requirements of the R40 density coding with regard to setbacks and privacy
provisions. The main living areas of the apartments have been set back further than required
by the R Codes to further aid visual and acoustic privacy. It is considered that additional
acoustic sound dampening could be incorporated into the privacy screens as a condition of
planning approval which the applicant has agreed to. In addition, screening of the vehicle
ramps and the provision of a 2.4 metre high solid wall along the northern boundary would also
contribute to reducing the impact of the development on the adjoining residential properties to
the north.
The overall height of the building is approximately 17 metres (five storeys at Cambridge Street).
A height limit is not stated in the precinct policy, however, the policy states that new
development should be built up to the street boundary and be of a height and scale similar to
the majority of existing buildings. At present, the majority of existing buildings in the locality are
single or two storey but recently there has been a move towards more intense development
with a range of building heights within the centre. Recent develops such as the mixed use
development on the corner of Simper and Cambridge Streets, 339 Cambridge Street (cnr
Jersey Street) and the 'Activ' building are examples of development that contribute to the
changing streetscape.
In addition, Council granted approval for a five storey mixed use development directly opposite
the subject property at No. 343 Cambridge Street at its meeting on 25 May 2010 ((Item
DV10.40).
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