Controversial Rooks Rd, Vermont badminton centre approved by council

A council in Melbourne’s east has approved plans for a controversial badminton facility that locals fear would be too noisy and would attract “anti-social behaviour”.

The proposed site for the Rooks Rd badminton facility. Picture: Supplied

A council in Melbourne’s east has approved plans for a controversial badminton facility that locals fear would be too noisy and would attract “anti-social behaviour”.

Developers submitted an application to the Whitehorse City Council build an indoor badminton centre and a 100 space carpark on 159-171 Rooks Rd, Vermont in May last year.

Nearby residents have opposed the development, fearing the centre will be too noisy for their neighbourhood.

At the council meeting on Monday night, Vermont local Carrie said noise from the centre would impact her family, which shared a fence with the development site.

“Noise concerns us the most, it is not just badminton inside a large steel shed but also noise from the carpark,” she said.

In response to concerns, developers made adjustments to their plans for noise reduction including reducing opening hours, installing a noise management fence and agreeing to not play loud music in the centre.

But Carrie said locals couldn’t “know for sure” whether these efforts would work.

31 objections were made to the planning application after a bizarre letter was sent to nearby residents last year.

A letter was sent out to residents near the proposed Rooks Rd Badminton centre. Picture: Supplied

The letter fears the centre will bring anti-social behaviour to the area. Picture: Supplied

The letter, penned by the SOS team of Rooks Rd, declared Whitehorse residents needed to save their community by opposing the sports facility.

“Though sports can build our community, with such a proximity to residential zones, it can also bring hazards and disruptions which do not belong in this community,” the letter read.

“As members of the community we are deeply concerned about the potential negative impacts that such a facility can have on our neighbourhood.”

The letter writers feared the badminton crowd would bring “anti-social behaviours” including smoking, littering and “disruptive car meet ups”.

The writers said the anti-social behaviour would risk the “community safety for our children”.

Councillors unanimously voted to approve the application on Monday night.