Mornington Peninsula mayor Simon Brooks calls in redevelopment plan for Safety Beach service station
A bid to add a fast food joint to a Mornington Peninsula servo has been called in by the local mayor after more than 500 residents said they didn’t want fries with their fuel.
South East
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A controversial service station make over that Mornington Peninsula residents fear will include a McDonalds has been given the nod by council planners.
Plans for a $6m redevelopment of an existing Safety Beach BP, including a 59 seat convenience restaurant, were lodged in 2023 and have attracted 565 objections.
The application does not refer to a McDonalds restaurant, but locals believed the golden arches were involved.
Objectors said the proposal was an overdevelopment of the site and inconsistent with the area’s character.
They were also concerned about litter, traffic, parking and anti-social behaviour.
“More litter in the area to end up in the bay. Plus the extra traffic. How many burger places do we need?,” Rika Keyser posted online.
“Traffic will be a nightmare in peak season,” Sharri Jackson agreed.
However, some locals said they would welcome the employment opportunities a McDonalds would bring.
A council report to be tabled on Tuesday night recommended a planning permit be granted with a raft of changes including expanded daily litter patrols, reduced drive thru hours and security cameras to monitor vehicles exiting via Nepean Highway.
The proposal was called in by mayor Simon Brooks, deputy mayor Antonella Celi and councillor Debra Mar and will be debated by councillors at an unscheduled council meeting on Tuesday night.
All three councillors have been contacted for comment.
The application was a second bid to gain approval for the project after a 2020 rejection by Mornington Peninsula Shire, followed by a failed appeal at the Victorian Civil and Planning Tribunal in late 2021.
The tribunal found the project “fails to meet objectives relating to traffic and circulation objectives”.
“We do not find the proposal is of a net community benefit.”
The latest plan included changes to entry and exit points for the site and reduced the number of bowsers from 16 to 12.
The site has been a service station since at least the 1970s.