VCAT approves childcare centre on Springvale Rd, Forest Hill

Forest Hill is set to get a new childcare centre on Springvale Rd against the wishes of Whitehorse Council and the site’s neighbours.

The new childcare centre will have an underground carpark.

Forest Hill is set to get a new childcare centre on Springvale Rd after the applicant’s plans got through at VCAT.

The two-storey centre will replace two single-storey houses at 310 and 312 Springvale Rd, providing 21 car parks in an underground basement and catering for a maximum of 96 children.

It will operate on weekdays from 6.30am to 7pm, with the right for children to play both indoors and outdoors at all times.

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The tribunal approved the centre being built in the Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 3 — among houses — after the proposal was criticised by Whitehorse Council and the site’s neighbours.

The council refused to issue a permit for the business at its meeting in March.

When handing down the ruling, presiding member Joel Templar said the council argued the childcare care was inappropriate for its location because of its design, lack of landscaping, affect on amenity and traffic impacts.

The new childcare centre will have an underground carpark.

But he ruled the centre did suit the location, with a shops just 200m to its south, a bus running past and Forest Hill Chase just 600m away.

Member Templar said the council believed the design did not align with the neighbourhood character, saying the size, 63 per cent site coverage, and concrete surfacing at the front would disrupt the streetscape.

But he dismissed these arguments, saying the design was acceptable.

Neighbours objecting to the plans told the tribunal they had concerns about the double-storey building’s impact on their properties, and fears for the noise generated by the almost 100 children at the centre.

Six houses share a boundary with the site.

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The tribunal ordered screening of the ground floor play area to keep privacy for neighbours and accepted the proposal’s acoustic fencing as satisfactory.

“There is likely to be an increase in noise levels as a result of the proposal in comparison with current conditions,” Member Templar said.

“However, we find these noise conditions will not be unacceptable.”

Concerns about the unsuitability of the underground carpark were also raised, but the tribunal noted VicRoads had not objected to the design.

Whitehorse general manager city development Jeff Green said the council respected the role of VCAT as the final decision maker.