Bayswater’s first seven-storey building approved at VCAT

Bayswater’s skyline is set to reach new heights, with a seven-storey apartment block headed for the suburb’s centre.

The seven-storey proposal for 711-717 Mountain Highway, Bayswater, as the artist’s impression appears in the planning application.

Bayswater’s skyline is set to reach new heights, with a seven-storey apartment block headed for the suburb’s centre.

VCAT has approved an application to construct the 25.35m-high building, which will claim the title of Bayswater’s tallest, despite Knox Council’s strong opposition to the development.

The tower will be built across four lots on the corner of Mountain Highway and Valentine St at 711-717 Mountain Highway.

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It will include 55 apartments, including 15 one-bedroom, 39 two-bedroom and one three-bedroom and two retail tenancies on the ground floor.

The tower will go up 711-717 Mountain Highway, Bayswater. Photo: Google Maps.

Two levels of basement carparking will offer 56 spaces for residents, four for retail staff and seven for residents’ visitors.

Knox Council rejected the application for the building back in July 2018 because it proposed exceeding the suburb’s discretionary height limit of five storeys.

When the developer took the plans to VCAT, the council said its main concern was the building’s height and bulk, but argued the design’s quality was not in line with high standard expected in the area, criticising its “overly busy” facade.

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It also said the number of car spaces proposed for the development would adversely impact surrounding residents.

But the tribunal sided against the council’s opinions when it handed down its ruling on Monday, April 15.

Senior member Margaret Baird and Member Ann Keddie said they did not agree that the architecture was “too busy or fussy, or that it (did) not achieve the quality being sought for the Bayswater Activity Centre”.

“We consider the building demonstrates attributes that will be a positive benchmark for this ‘first off the rank’ project.”

Initially the proposal was for a nine-storey apartment at 711-717 Mountain Highway, Bayswater but that was changed to seven storeys as the artists impressions show.

They said there was scope for buildings to exceed the area’s discretionary height limit, and that even though the communal space provided on the apartments’ rooftop was less than planning standards required, it was of high quality.

Bayswater Tower Pty Ltd has received the permit to build the tower more than two years after it initially applied to build apartments at the site.

An application for a nine-storey apartment block was lodged in December 2016, but the plans were revised to the seven-storey design after the council raised concerns.

The 1250sq m site was bought for $2.7 million in May 2016.