Preston Market height controls, proposed master plan announced

PLANNING Minister Richard Wynne has announced strict height controls for Preston Market — but will not intervene in a controversial proposal for three high-rise apartment towers next to the site.

Preston Labor MP Robin Scott and Planning Minister Richard Wynne at Preston Market. Picture: Andy Brownbill

• Market tower plan appealed
• Preston Market tower plan knocked back
• Preston Market high-rise designs revealed
• Market buildings safe under $4m revamp
• Traders face boot at Preston Market

PLANNING Minister Richard Wynne has moved to ease concerns over the future of Preston Market with the announcement of strict height controls to prevent overdevelopment of market buildings and a proposed master plan of the precinct.

But the minister will not intervene in a controversial proposal for three high-rise apartment towers next to the site.

Under the new controls developers would be forbidden from building higher than two storeys over the market itself.

Salta Properties, which partially owns the market, has spent millions upgrading facilities and has repeatedly pledged to preserve the integrity of the market.

Speaking in Preston today, Mr Wynne said a forthcoming review of planning controls and a proposed masterplan would “safeguard the iconic market from inappropriate development”.

“Today I’m putting in place interim height controls … because we want to ensure that what is great about the Preston Market is retained.”

Preston state Labor MP Robin Scott welcomed the announcement as a positive step forward.

“This is a market that brings people together and has a community function beyond the commercial function and that’s vital to preserve,” he said.

Darebin Mayor Kim Le Cerf said the news “vindicated the strong stand we’ve made to protect the integrity of the market”.

Mr Wynne’s announcement came after Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal talks broke down between Darebin Council and Preston Market Developments over a proposal for three apartment buildings of 10 and 14 storeys next to the market site.

Campaigners had urged Mr Wynne to use his ministerial power to “call in” the application for the 300-dwelling buildings and amend it.

But Mr Wynne expressed confidence in the VCAT process.

“This will be an opportunity for residents to have their say at VCAT (and) I will be writing to VCAT to indicate the broader strategic work that the government is doing,” he said.

Mr Wynne intervened over a proposed 90 storey tower at the Queen Victoria Market this week. He said comparisons between the two scenarios were misguided.

“The Queen Victoria Market obviously is the oldest trading market in Victoria, it is the oldest free standing market,” he said.

“(Preston Market) is not actually a free standing market, it’s about 50 years old (while) the Queen Victoria Market is from 1878, it’s quite different in that context, particularly in terms of scale and it is also on the heritage register.”

Leader can reveal that Darebin Council reached an agreement with the developer to proceed with the permit, with 15 per cent of dwellings reserved for affordable housing, according to sources with knowledge of the meeting.

The proposed deal did not alter the proposed building heights and included 680 car spaces during construction with 800 permanent car spaces.

However, another party rejected the deal, confirmed the sources, who could not speak publicly due to confidentiality.

Salta Properties declined to comment.

Save Our Preston Market declined to comment.

@edjgardiner