Concrete wall built metres from apartments in Gamble St, Brunswick East

Homeowners in Brunswick East are furious after a neighbouring concrete wall was built so close to their balconies they can reach out and touch it. But who is to blame?

Betty Ma’s balcony now overlooks a concrete wall just metres away. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Homeowners in Brunswick East have been left staring at a concrete wall put up just metres from their balconies.

Betty Ma and her husband moved into their third floor apartment on Gamble St in September 2017 and initially enjoyed picturesque sights over Brunswick.

But the view from her balcony has since been blocked by a concrete wall, built just metres away as part of the East Brunswick Village three months ago.

“When I first saw they built the wall from our bedroom side I was just like s---,” she said.

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Two stories below, Leanne Clayton can reach out and touch the wall from her balcony.

She said the concrete barrier blocked phone reception and she now only managed one bar of reception when standing next to a window.

“If I want to make a phone call I need to stand right next to the window … my reception on my phone was OK until they put up the top concrete slabs,” she said.

The East Brunswick Village was approved on the property boundary under now-outdated planning laws. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Initial plans for the village were first approved by Moreland Council in 2012, which included the wall on the property line.

Final amendments were approved in 2018.

A permit for the apartment building was approved by the council in April 2014, with setbacks only affecting a handful of properties on the northern side.

There were no legal setback laws in place when the building was approved and acting director of city infrastructure Phillip Priest said the council’s own planning controls were only brought in afterwards.

“These (controls) included standards for setbacks of apartments from side and rear property boundaries,” he said.

Koul Property developed the Gamble St building and director Chris Koulloupas owns one of the north facing apartments.

He said when Koul inquired with the council about the wall abutting the East Brunswick Village building, he was told that it would be nine metres back from the property line.

Rolling amendments to the wall had brought it closer to the apartments, he said.

But plans viewed by the Leader indicated that the wall was always slated to be built on the property line.

The building is so close, some neighbours can reach out and touch it from their balconies. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Mr Koulloupas said the planning process needed an overhaul to keep potential homebuyers informed.

“What’s been developed (by the village) is completely against what we thought would be there,” he said.

“The council must remain consistent and protect properties, the consequences now are a lot of dissatisfied owners.”

Ms Ma believed the value of her property had diminished dramatically once the wall had risen.

“I don’t think I can sell this unit,” she said. “Who is going to buy this?”