Council’s agenda is out and once again we despair at the predetermined outcomes that this administration enforces upon its residents. Included in the agenda are the Built Form Frameworks (BFFs) for Caulfield South, Caulfield North and Bentleigh East, as well as the Community Engagement Strategy.
Readers should note the following:
- The Community Engagement Strategy promises that residents will be provided with feedback on how their views influenced the final council proposal/decision. In relation to the BFF’s this is entirely missing. So much for the ‘engagement strategy’ and its empty promises.
- The report on the community consultation for the BFFs failed to include the actual comments. What we basically get are ‘summaries’. Given the importance of these strategic plans, and how many residents will be impacted, surely a comprehensive and detailed analysis of all responses is warranted? Of course, readers might like to think back to the actual questions that were asked as part of this ‘consultation’ and how sub-standard they were! (See: https://gleneira.blog/2021/05/12/is-this-fair-dinkum-consultation/ for our ‘review’ of the consultation)
- The BFFs remain unchanged from the previous versions as far as we can tell. Interestingly, the accompanying draft Design & Development Overlay, is only for Caulfield South. Why? No explanation is given as to why Bentleigh East and Caulfield North are ignored. Is council simply testing the water at this stage? What is the expected time frame for the DDO’s for the remaining two centres?
- Most importantly, any planning for activity centres has as its major objective to ensure that there is capacity to meet the forecast population growth. Not one single statistic on population and dwelling growth is provided in any of these frameworks!!!! Hence, we cannot find any strategic justification as to why 6 storeys is appropriate, compared to 10 storeys or even 15 storeys if this is the logic behind these plans! In our view, the link between projected population growth and dwellings required has not been established. That is the role of a Housing Strategy. But of course, council is rushing everything through PRIOR to the creation of a Housing Strategy!!!!!
- Even more damning is the fact that Council is still relying heavily on its City Plan. We remind readers that this document argues that 5 storeys is the optimum discretionary level for commercially zoned sites in these centres. Yet we are confronted with BFFs that totally ignore this and recommend higher levels. What’s the point of having a policy that is continually ignored?
There is much, much more that could be said in regards to these BFFs and the Engagement Strategy. We will provide a more detailed analysis in the next few days.
Glen Eira Debates 
November 19, 2021 at 12:57 PM
I’ve been told that the pub and its car park at the corner of Centre and East Boundary Road was sold last year for $34M. Spending this amount will not produce 3 storey apartment blocks. A great reason for council to delay any ddo for Bentleigh East I suggest.
November 19, 2021 at 2:09 PM
With that size investment forget even 6 story dog boxes. I’m betting on 10 stories.
November 20, 2021 at 6:38 AM
Come on now, you wouldn’t want the poor dears at the Town Hall to overwork themselves. It may cut into their human rights charter to spend 12 hours a day on their social media frameworks whilst getting paid for this banal pleasure of achieving nought.
November 20, 2021 at 12:30 PM
Where is our “adopted municipal-wide housing strategy that provides clear policy direction about where residential development should occur”? The Minister identified it as being necessary to underpin any planning amendments and that was almost 2 years ago. And what has changed from when one councillor told the Minister that the municipality had 87 years’ supply of land at current development rates.
November 23, 2021 at 9:31 PM
It’s all too little, too late for Caulfield South, with three massive developments now underway and set to ruin the amenity of surrounding residents. Council states that Caulfield South is “a desirable location for more intense development”. I’m guessing that none of the Planning staff live next door to a future six-storey monstrosity – as I do.