Spike in West Torrens Council subdivisions angers residents, but developers lament slow approvals
SUBDIVISIONS have surged by almost 40 per cent in some inner western suburbs raising concerns about overcrowding and increased traffic — and it’s not just residents who are worried. See the hotspots.
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SUBDIVISIONS in West Torrens Council have risen 36 per cent over the past three years, raising concerns about overcrowding, overshadowing and increased traffic.
The council approved 173 subdivisions across the district in 2015/16, compared with 153 in 2014/15 and 127 in 2012/13.
North Plympton topped the list of suburbs with most subdivisions, with 60 applications approved.
The council changed its development plan last year to allow denser development in suburbs along Anzac Highway and Henley Beach Rd.
Keswick Ward councillor John Woodward said residents had concerns about parking, traffic, noise and overshadowing caused by more units in their neighbourhoods.
“I drive around a lot and you can see so much infill happening,” Cr Woodward said.
“Residents are concerned it’s changing the suburbs they live in and too quickly.”
Voula Haliabalias is among locals concerned about the changes.
Plans by InProperty Design for five two-storey townhouses on the 900sq m block next to her Kurralta Park house were rejected by the council’s Development Assessment Panel in March. However, the Environment, Resources and Development Court ruled in favour of the developer in May.
Mrs Haliabalias is appealing that approval because she and other residents claim they did not have a chance to join the court action.
She said the development would overshadow her property and increase traffic.
“We’re the only street in Kurralta Park that hasn’t been impacted by development,” Mrs Haliabalias said.
“People have spent a lot of money fixing up their homes because they wanted to be here for 30 or 40 years.”
InProperty Design director David Thompson said approval time frames were now “beyond a joke” at West Torrens Council because it had not employed extra planning staff to deal with the increase in applications.
A report to last week’s West Torrens meeting said between April and June, the council only assessed 36 per cent of category two projects — those that require consultation — within 60 days.
That was down from 93 per cent in January to March 2014.
City development manager Janine Lennon said there had been a number of “abandoned applications”, where developers dropped their proposals or failed to pay fees, which were being “cleaned up” as staff returned to a “full quotient”.
The council did not provide detail on how many more blocks the 173 subdivisions had created.
Subdivision approvals were up 14 per cent in Charles Sturt between 2014/15 and 2015/16, from 363 to 414.
In Marion, they were up 11 per cent to 303.
Numbers were stable in Holdfast Bay and Mitcham.
What do you think of the changing face of our suburbs? Leave your comment below.
Top West Torrens Council suburbs for subdivisions in 2015/16:
Plympton 27
Fulham 20
Brooklyn Park 16
Camden Park 16
Lockleys 16
Kurralta Park 15
North Plympton 14