VCAT approves St Albans Park subdivision

VICTORIA’S planning umpire has approved a controversial St Albans Park subdivision.

The application to Greater Geelong Council was for a permit to develop the land at Woods Road for the subdivision of the land into two lots.

Council granted the permit on 29 July 2022 based on the Council’s view that the design aligned with the Planning Policy Framework (‘PPF’) regarding character and landscaping values and protection of rural vistas.

The Geelong Times previously reported that VCAT then forced the city to invite St Albans Park residents to participate in an appeal against the subdivision plan.

Council’s position was that the lot pattern and the single storey scale of the area could be respected in the subdivision.

Residents disagreed with Council and asserted that the sub-division design did not take into account the constraints of the site or the character of the area.

When granting the permit VCAT member Alison Slattery wrote there is a level of discretion and nuance that needs to be applied in the assessment of the appropriateness of the subdivision.

“My site visit confirmed that the area to the north of Woods Road is suburban in nature, with larger suburban style lots and dwellings, petering out to smaller dwellings the more one extends north down Homestead Drive,” Ms Slattery wrote.

“To the south of Woods Road, the lots are more rural in nature, with larger lots giving a sense of spaciousness, compared to the suburban nature of the dwellings to the north.

“I am satisfied that the proposed subdivision is responsive to the character of the area and in so, is a reasonable response to the objective of the PPF.

“I am satisfied that the proposed development is properly designed so as to respond appropriately to the PPF as it relates to residential development in St Albans Park.”