TAFE towers will not be doubled as developer backs down after community backlash

New plans for a proposed southern Brisbane TAFE redevelopment have dropped proposals to double the tower heights and has said the coronavirus pandemic shows why we need more local retail options.

Revised plans for precinct H of the Clearview Urban Village development.

A DEVELOPER has backed down on a bid to double the height of proposed apartment towers at Clearview Urban Village.

Heran Building Group had applied for 137 apartments over three towers, one rising to eight storeys, and a retail level at 23 Griffith Place, Seven Hills - a former TAFE campus.

The masterplan for the site lodged in 2014 detailed the maximum height for buildings being four storeys, prompting a strong response from the council’s planning team to last year’s application indicating the council would not support the proposal.

But in newly lodged plans, the shops in Griffith Place are retained and the residential tower height has been reduced to three residential towers to five storeys with 123 units and basement parking.

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The retail component, Clearview Market, would feature 3350 sqm including a greengrocer and smaller shops.

Heran argues in their application that the situation with coronavirus had shown the importance of decentralising shopping precincts.

“In extraordinary circumstances such as these that we find ourselves in at the time of writing, the ability to ‘stay in your suburb’ is critical, and is a strategic planning principle that needs to be implemented in examples such as this,” the developer states.

Heran has donated the Ron Hurley Theatre, bushland, corner park and carpark donated to the council as part of the wider redevelopment, which they estimate at a cost of $10 million.

Councillor Kara Cook (Morningside) welcomed the revised plans yesterday after a fierce community campaign against the changes.

Ms Cook launched a petition, that more than 200 people signed, calling on the council to reject the proposed eight-storey towers.

Ms Kara Cook says the council’s response to the original plans uses some of the strongest language she has seen from the planners. Picture: AAP/Richard Walker

Ms Cook said the new plans still needed to go through community consultation.

In a letter to the applicant early this year the council advised the eight-storey proposal had “extensive noncompliance” with the City Plan in terms of proposed land uses, height, scale, intensity, amenity and traffic impacts.

“The proposal represents a significant departure from the community expectations regarding the nature of development in this location,” the council advised.

Ms Cook attributed the council’s response to the strong community reaction to the plans.

“This is some of the strongest language I have seen from the planners and shows how residents can stand up to developers and make everyone follow the rules,” Ms Cook says.

“The new plans are a far better reflection of what is allowed under the City Plan, however, local residents should still make sure they have their say and if they have any concerns make a submission or contact me.”

The masterplan for the former TAFE site.