Proposed Cecil St Prahran student housing tower near Revolver nightclub to go to VCAT
A developer for a planned 10-storey apartment tower in Prahran wants to switch up its plans and make it a student housing hub, without balconies or any parking. It has been slammed by councillors, with concerns raised over the mental health of anyone living there.
Inner East
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A giant proposed student housing tower in Prahran has been slammed by Stonnington councillors, who have expressed concerns about lack of parking and students’ mental health if they lived in its “ridiculously small” rooms.
Developer Bensons Property Group was awarded a permit for a 10-storey mixed use development at 10-16 Cecil Place in Prahran, off Chapel St and near the Revolver nightclub, in January 2018.
It planned to create the ‘Anchor and Cecil’ residential project with 53 luxury apartments, retail space and 88 underground carparks at the site.
But Bensons has since gone to VCAT with plans to convert the building for student housing, with 184 rooms, 241 beds and no on-site parking.
Councillors unanimously agreed to overturn officer advice and not support the new plans at their meeting on Monday night.
Along with no on-site parking, they agreed the plans weren’t consistent with Stonnington’s student housing policy and not close enough to a tertiary education provider with a large amount of international students.
Cr Melina Sehr said the size of the rooms, proposed to be as small as 18.5sq m, were “totally unacceptable”.
“I’d be seriously concerned about the mental health of people trapped in spaces like that,” she said.
“We don’t know what’s happening in the international (students) market, and there are much better alternatives for the use of that site.”
Cr Judy Hindle also felt the room sizes were “far too small” and the intensity of accommodation on the site was excessive.
“We’re approving student housing, we want something you can swing a cat through,” she said.
“There is not a demonstrated need for student housing in the area and the reduction of carparking to zero is unacceptable.”
Bensons Property Group managing director Rick Curtis said the proposed developent was designed to support Monash University students on placements at the nearby Alfred Hospital.
Mr Curtis said he was “dissapointed” the councillors had ”ignored” officer reccomendations and felt the proposal met the council’s expectations.
He said the group would continue to pursue the application at VCAT with a hearing to begin on September 23.
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