Revised plans lodged for controversial Bridgeman Downs service station development

A controversial service station, fast food and residential complex proposed for a site on a busy road is back on the agenda, despite Brisbane City Council slamming it on several grounds.

The revised layout for the development proposed for 427 Beckett Rd, Bridgeman Downs.

The service station, fast food and residential complex proposed for 427 Beckett Rd, Bridgeman Downs is back on the agenda, despite a stinging rebuke from Brisbane City Council.

427 Beckett Rd Pty Ltd has responded to the council’s July 2019 information request, which recommended it be dropped, with minor changes and defences of criticism of its environmental impact and the appropriateness of its location.

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After the original application for the development, at 427 Beckett Rd, was lodged in June 2019 more than 1100 people petitioned the council to reject it.

Several people have already lodged objections with the council since the revised plans were lodged this month.

Labor’s candidate for McDowall at the recent council election, Liam Culverhouse, feared the council might relent.

“We’ve just found out that it’s going around again, now that the election is over, and I thinks it’s going to be a different outcome this time around,” Mr Culverhouse said.

“It’s an inappropriate development. Council did the right thing by rejecting it.”

“I think it was stopped ultimately in my eyes because it was an unpopular development that used a cemetery as its community hub and it’s not acceptable for the emerging communities overlay and environmental protection overlay.”

In July last year, the council told the applicant: “Council has carried out an assessment of the above application and has determined that the proposed development is inappropriately located and would have substantial detrimental impacts on the natural environment.

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“For these reasons the development as proposed is in significant conflict with the requirements of the City Plan 2014 and cannot be supported. It is strongly recommended that the application be withdrawn given the extent of issues relevant to this proposal as follows.

It cited issues such as inappropriate location, environmental impacts, traffic safety, noise impacts and air quality impacts.

427 Beckett Rd Pty Ltd’s response included a revised design of the proposed intersection with Beckett Rd (from a left out/right out, to a left out manoeuvre only, and amendment to provide a left slip lane).

It has also changed the design of some townhouses and reduced internal driveways.

It challenged the council’s criticisms, including that the proposed development was inconsistent with the planning scheme.

The applicant said: “Aside from Council’s query regarding transport access to the site, no conflicts existing with represent to the proposed use within the EC (emerging community) zone.”

It said the commercial elements complied with the intent of the EC zone as 79 per cent of the proposed primary customer catchment was within the Neighbourhood Plan area.

McDowall Wildlife Preservation Group wants Brisbane City Council to buy several blocks on Beckett Rd, Bridgeman Downs, to create a wildlife corridor. Photo: K.R.Anderson and McDowall Wildlife Preservation Group

In February McDowall Wildlife Preservation Group (MWPG) put a plan to the council for it to purchase that site, and others nearby, to create a wildlife corridor linking key habitats.

MWPG spokesman Ken Anderson said there was a window of opportunity to secure a world-class wildlife corridor between Cabbage Tree Creek (part of the Mountains To Mangroves Corridor) and the Dawn Rd Reserve, and beyond.

427 Beckett Rd Pty Ltd’s response said the site provided little, if any habitat connectivity to the west, and “the surrounding area has a long history of structure planning activity”.