Ringwood housing: Uniting plans six-storey Pitt St social housing complex
A tight Ringwood street backing onto a railway line could soon be home to a social housing high-rise, prompting fears from neighbours of traffic chaos.
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Neighbours in a tight Ringwood street fear a proposed social housing high-rise will lead to traffic chaos and gridlock, if it is approved.
The Uniting Church has lodged plans for a six-storey social housing complex on the corner of Pitt St in Ringwood, next to the suburb’s railway line.
Under the plans, which are being assessed by Maroondah Council following public advertising, 84 one and two bedroom apartments would be built at the site for the church’s clients.
The church told Leader no properties would be removed, however the plans show two existing properties would be demolished across the site, which covers numbers one to seven.
It is also seeking to provide 33 on site parking spaces, 17 fewer than required by the council under planning requirements.
Nearby neighbour Claire, who declined to giver her surname, said she was “disgusted” by the plans and feared the end of the street would become “a bottleneck” for users.
Another five-storey apartment complex is also planned nearby at 12-14 Pitt St with 42 apartments.
“I know we’re in a high-density area, but this street is too congested as it is,” Claire said.
Fellow neighbour Sheridan Watson said the street was already frequented by hoons at night and people parking during busy periods at nearby Eastland.
“It’s stupid, there shouldn’t be such big high rises in a little street where access isn’t that great either,” she said.
“There’ll be 60-70 more cars in the street if these two (developments) go up, and it can’t support that amount of traffic.”
A traffic report in Uniting’s application stated the majority of on-street parking was limited to three hours, which would “result in a scenario wherein the proposed parking provision will meet the parking demand”.
“On this basis, there is unlikely to be a significant parking impact associated with the proposed development,” the report read.
In its application, Uniting said the proposed development was “pivotal to Uniting’s mission by delivering much needed social and affordable housing in the Maroondah municipality.”
Uniting Victoria and Tasmania chief executive Bronwyn Pike said the project would significantly boost local supplies with “several thousands of households waiting for social housing” in the outer east.
She said the Pitt St site was ideal for housing as it was close to the Ringwood town centre and community services.
“We are currently working with council on progressing the development through the preliminary planning stages of the project before it is submitted for formal consideration,” she said.
Maroondah mayor Mike Symon said 11 submissions were received during public advertising, and council officers would make a decision on Uniting’s application “in due course”.
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