Retirement living application at Lota House refused
The protection of a heritage-listed building in Brisbane that is more than 150 years old has been put first after a luxury retirement living development was refused.
Southeast
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THE protection of a heritage-listed building more than 150 years old on Brisbane’s bayside has been ensured after a development application for luxury retirement living was refused.
Brisbane City Council announced the development from The Village Retirement Group and Anglicare, which would have allowed buildings up to six storeys on the side adjacent to the Edwin Marsden Tooth Memorial Home, would not go ahead this morning.
The decision comes after the application had been heavily criticised from residents saying the proposal at 162 Oceana St would damage the character of the area and ruin the surrounding habitat.
TVRG and Anglicare redesigned the plans in November to reduce the amount of units from 104 to 103 and reduce the height from seven storeys to six, which were then presented to the concerned residents at two community information sessions later that month.
But the changes did not satisfy the community and in particular the Bayside Action Group, who lobbied for the application to be refused.
“The applicant wanted to provide 103 new units but the height, bulk and scale of the development was not appropriate for this suburban heritage-listed site,” Brisbane City Council City Planning Chair Councillor Matthew Bourke said.
“During the assessment process Council raised concerns with the applicant surrounding the building bulk, scale and height, the heritage setting, impacts on existing vegetation and traffic.
“The applicant did not resolve the concerns and Council was not going to allow a development of this kind overshadow the historic Lota House.
“Residents echoed our concerns with 158 of the 159 submissions received regarding the application being in objection.”
Lota House was built in 1865 and was purchased by the Anglican Church in 1960 and opened as aged care accommodation in 1963. It was then added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992.
“It was important Council ensures development within a suburban setting fits with existing surroundings, to protect the character, look and feel of our neighbourhoods,” Mr Bourke said.
“We are confident our decision to refuse the application will ensure the site at Lota House is maintained as it currently stands and the character of the local area preserved.”
Labor city councillor for Wynnum Manly Peter Cumming congratulated the group of local residents, who had run such a great campaign against the project, which he described as being way over the top across the road from a low density residential area.
Mr Cumming warned the decision could still be appealed by the developer to the Planning and Environment Court and called upon Council to be willing to take the matter all the way to a hearing and not back down in the face of the appeal.
”The developer could lodge a fresh application which complied with the new package, which allowed four story retirement villages across the road from Community Facilities land which the Anglicare facility was built on,” he said.
Mr Cumming was concerned Council might approve such an application.
He said there was nothing to stop the developer from building a retirement village up to eight-storey in the land designated for such development in Wynnum Central.
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