MEETING OF COUNCIL - Town of Cambridge

COUNCIL MINUTES
TUESDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2012
• the dwelling is to be occupied by at least one resident who is either disabled,
physically dependent or aged over 55 or their surviving spouse (which is bound by a
notification on the Certificate of Title) and;
• specific provisions relating to access, parking spaces, amenity.
Subject to meeting the requirements listed above, the minimum site area is able to be
reduced by up to a third (this can include single dwellings, grouped dwellings and multiple
dwellings). This reflects that smaller lots are able to accommodate these dwellings and
encourages this type of accommodation.
The draft Policy proposes to reduce the minimum number of dwellings required in order to
receive the concession on site area requirements from five dwellings to two dwellings. To
illustrate the effect of this change:-
• In a Residential R12.5 area, the minimum lot size to be able to obtain a site area
concession is currently 2335 sqm (allowing five dwellings) whereas under the draft
Policy this would be reduced to 933 sqm (allowing two dwellings).
• In a Residential R20 area, the minimum lot size to be able to obtain a site area
concession is currently 1467sqm (allowing five dwellings) whereas under the draft
Policy this would be reduced to 587sqm (allowing two dwellings).
• In a Residential R30 area, the minimum lot size to be able to obtain a site area
concession is currently 901sqm (allowing five dwellings) whereas under the draft
Policy this would be reduced to 361sqm (allowing two dwellings).
COMMENT
Draft Policy 3.11 Aged or Dependent Persons Dwellings builds on the existing provisions of
the Residential Design Codes to support the development of aged or dependent persons'
dwellings by effectively reducing the minimum size of lots needed before being able to obtain
site area concessions for these dwellings and only requiring that two aged or dependent
dwellings are required as part of these developments before granting concessions.
Under current provisions of the Residential Design Codes, the need to have five dwellings
before site area concessions can be applied leaves very few lots over the Town eligible to
receive the concession. Furthermore, the need for five dwellings reduces flexibility to provide
smaller sized developments and may limit the financial capacity to provide this type of
dwelling on more suitably sized lots and in suitable locations.
Over the Residential R20 areas of Wembley and West Leederville and Residential R20, R30
and R40 areas of West Leederville (which make up most of the residentially zoned parts of
these suburbs) most lots would be entitled to a concession for aged or dependent dwellings
where two dwellings are built, whereas at the moment there are few lots where concessions
would apply.
A significant proportion of lots in City Beach and Floreat in Residential R12.5 and Residential
R15 areas would also be able to seek the site area concession based on the requirement for
two dwellings. In the Residential R12.5 areas of the Town (Floreat and City Beach), grouped
dwellings (strata titled) are not permitted under the Town Planning Scheme. Therefore
subdivision would be required to apply the site area concessions in these locations, which is
subject to approval from the Western Australian Planning Commission. A scheme
amendment to allow grouped and/or multiple dwellings in the R12.5 areas of City Beach and
Floreat would, however, give the Town the opportunity to approve site area concessions.
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