EXPLAINED: Why an old Council agreement is on exhibition

The paperwork has been done and dusted years ago, so why has it come up again?

Clarence Valley Council meeting on Tuesday, 28th July, 2020.

A Draft Voluntary Planning Agreement from 2018 is currently on exhibition for community members to peruse. But why now?

In December 2018, development application DA2018/0645 was given the green light for the construction of two retail shops at 56 Skinner St, South Grafton with a staff car park of four spaces, including one disabled space.

"In the case of a retail business development, for every 30 square metres of floor space of the overall building, you have to provide a carparking space," developer Robert Bentley said.

"If you can't provide one, you have to buy one and you do that with a voluntary planning agreement."

This was the case for Mr Bentley's development which required him to enter into a Voluntary Planning Agreement where, according to the original documents, he made a contribution valued at $8000 for two carparking spaces to be credited to the land.

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The documents go on to explain that Mr Bentley's contribution will be used for "the future provision and/or upgrading of public carparking, or public transport facilities or associated infrastructure to service the locality of the land."

However, with the two shopfronts now built and awaiting new tenants, why now have Clarence Valley Council put this completed agreement up for exhibition years later?

A spokesperson from Clarence Valley Council has said that "the developer has paid his contributions and entered into the agreement as per the Council resolution … advertising is just the final set in finalising the matter."

"I purchased them at great expense, but in the grand scheme of things, what's on the property now is worth more than when it was a vacant block of land especially now that we're seeing an influx of people coming into the Clarence Valley," Mr Bentley said.

"This region has massive potential, and with the shops up and running, as they say: you build them and they'll come."

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