SQUARE ONE: Opponents to restart battle against Portarlington apartments

A PORTARLINGTON community group has vowed to fight a multi-storey Newcombe Street development for the second time as a revised design seeks planning approval.

Developers have submitted new plans to build a four-storey building with ground-floor retail spaces and 10 apartments plus an underground car park at 49 Newcombe Street.

Portarlington Community Association successfully led a charge against previous plans first lodged in 2019 that led to rejection from a state government planning panel.

PCA decided at its latest meeting this month that it would again oppose the revised submission.

“We believe that while there’s been cosmetic changes to the design, a structure of that bulk and that size is inappropriate to that location,” president Geoff Fary said.

The new proposal has one less apartment and two less car spaces than the rejected earlier plan.

Proponents have also adjusted building materials and increased setbacks of upper levels to reduce the building’s visual impact in a bid to satisfy authorities.

“The subject site’s unique double frontage to Newcombe Street and the Foreshore, as well as having sensitive interfaces to the adjoining heritage building and preschool is given precedence in the proposed design,” planning documents stated.

“Generous consideration has been given to visually recess the upper levels of the building, incorporate materiality common within the town centre, and use of articulation and vertical elements to reduce the visual massing of the building when viewed from the Foreshore.

“The proposed landscaping aims to further enhance the intentions of the design response.”

The earlier plan had attrated support from submitters who wanted to see further employment opportunities and economic benefits for local businesses.

But Mr Fary said the changes had done little to soothe concerns of objectors.

“We’re not opposed by any means to multi-unit development. We recognise that the place is growing, and more people want to come here,” he said.

“If we’re not to have the town boundaries forever expanding into farmland then it’s inevitable.

“But this particular location, which would block out the vista of the bay from the main street, is inappropriate.”

The timing of the application also raised eyebrows among association members, who claimed the advertising period overlapping with Christmas and New Year’s failed to give residents enough time to consider a submission.

State authorities had called in the matter last year before it was due to go before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal when the City of Greater Geelong failed to decide on the proposal in time.

The Planning Minister at the time, Richard Wynne, rejected the earlier proposal after an advisory committee found that the design “does not sufficiently protect and enhance the valued attributes of the area” in line with the Bellarine DAL, failed to make “a positive architectural and urban design contribution”, and would obstruct views of significant architecture from the foreshore.

The city is presently advertising new plans until January 5.