Liquorland wins VCAT appeal against Stonnington Council for new Chapel St Windsor store
A well-known bottle shop chain will add a second store on one of Melbourne’s busiest shopping strips despite neighbours’ fears it would lead to littering and boozy behaviour near their homes, while another fashion boutique is also coming to town.
Inner East
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Liquorland will add a second store on Melbourne’s Chapel St after its plans were originally blocked following concerns from neighbours.
The bottle shop chain was granted a permit to open at 138 Chapel St following a successful VCAT appeal on July 6.
It will be located at the Windsor end of the busy strip on the corner of Earl St, and in the former home of the Colin Chapel cafe and general store.
Stonnington Council rejected Liquorland’s application for a permit in August last year, claiming it would have “unreasonable amenity implications” and there was already four shops and venues selling alcohol for takeaway nearby.
Earl St neighbours also objected as they feared the store would lead to anti-social behaviour, safety concerns and an impact on the amenity of their street.
After being notified of Liquorland’s appeal, they told the tribunal the store would “further exacerbate existing problems of noise, litter and urination”, and they were concerned customers would drink alcohol in the street.
But tribunal member Judith Perlstein overturned the council’s decision and granted a permit for the store, provided there was 24/7 CCTV coverage and no entry point on Earl St.
Ms Perlstein felt a single entrance on Chapel St would minimise risks of anti-social behaviour and direct customers away from Earl St.
“I also consider that the requirement for a surveillance recording system providing continuous images of entrances, exits, floor areas and the immediate adjacent external boundary of the premises will both act as a deterrent for ‘bad’ behaviour and should provide sufficient information for authorities to deal with issues if they do arise,” she said.
Liquorland already has an outlet at 303 Chapel St, Prahran, connected to the Coles supermarket.
Meanwhile, growing men’s fashion boutique Maatsuyker is also coming to Chapel St, securing a space at its South Yarra end.
The retailer will move from its base in Greville St, Prahran to the former home of Aquila shoes at 574 Chapel St.
Real estate agency Fitzroys negotiated the lease for $60,000 a year and received more than 60 inquiries for the space.
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