By Renee Wood
An application for a childcare centre on Songbird Avenue in Chirnside Park has been referred to VCAT due to Yarra Ranges Council’s failure to make a decision in the required 60 days.
The referral was announced at the Tuesday 23 August council meeting when the matter was due to be deliberated.
Prior to the VCAT referral, council officers recommended the permit be refused due to failing to meet the planning scheme, the impact it would have local roads and a lack of car parking accessibility.
The proposed facility would care for 80 students with 15 staff members, while 17 car spaces were planned for.
Mayor Jim Child moved an alternate motion stating that had council been able to make a decision, it would have been to resolve a refusal and a notice would have been issued to the applicant.
“While the proposal does meet a number of requirements of the scheme, the overall location is inappropriate to the degree that the proposal is not appropriate cited or serviced by a main road,” Cr Child said.
There were 32 objections to the build and Songbird Avenue for traffic, noise pollution, danger to pedestrians, vegetation impacts, car parking, oversaturation of the land use and decreased property value.
Resident James Ankles said he was against the project on 25 and 27 Songbird Avenue due to safety and traffic concerns.
“Songbird avenue in my opinion is already used by residents for parking and parents to access the Chirnside Park school and this has produced increased traffic, congestion and that adding a childcare centre in Songbird Avenue would further aggravate the problem,” Mr Ankles said.
The permit will now be considered at VCAT.
