Objections raised to Anglesea SLSC upgrade

THE Anglesea Surf Life Saving Club has run into some opposition to its plan to redevelop its clubhouse, with some nearby homeowners objecting to the scale and impact of the proposed works.

Sincock Planning, on behalf of the club, applied in June for the planning permit, which would see one of the clubhouse buildings demolished and replaced with a three-storey building that would be 3.6 metres taller.

Most of the 10 objections to the application were concerned about the height and bulk of the new building as well as the need for such a large facility, but Anglesea SLSC argues the building is beyond repair and needs improvement to accommodate the huge growth in Nippers.

The Surf Coast Shire held a hearing of submissions meeting about the application in the council chambers on Tuesday.

All four of the objectors who spoke said they were in support of Anglesea SLSC improving their facilities but not to the extent proposed in the application.

“Under no circumstances are we prepared to accept this third floor, which impedes our view,” Barry Nancarrow, who lives opposite the clubhouse, said.

“I cannot understand the need for a third floor, when the club has chosen to lease out a floor to a café full time.”

Joseph Guss said traffic near the clubhouse was already bad, and a clubhouse redeveloped in this way would only encourage more cars.

“Someone’s going to be killed or maimed there soon, because the situation is just becoming more and more impossible.”

In response, Sincock Planning’s Toni Sincock said VicRoads had “no objections” to parking and access, but nearby traffic was “a bigger issue regardless of whether the club is redeveloped”.

Speaking in support, Anglesea SLSC vice-president of operations Chris Foley said the upgrade was designed to meet Life Saving Victoria’s best practice guidelines.

He said the café was about “generating revenue that subsidises essential services”.

“It is a necessary evil for us; we have to look at how we can leverage the assets.”

The shire will consider the matter at its October 24 meeting.