Werribee townhouse development: Tower Rd proposal angers locals

Plans to build 58 townhouses in Werribee have divided opinions among locals and councillors, with many worried about traffic congestion.

Plans to build a townhouse precinct in Melbourne’s west has ruffled the feathers of nearby locals, with one claiming it will cause significant road congestion.

This week Wyndham City Council approved amended plans for the construction of 58 town houses on a vacant 10,000sq m block, previously owned by Southern Rural Water on Tower Rd.

Resident Graeme Smart who lives behind the proposed development said his biggest concern with the development was a traffic increase in an already busy part of Werribee.

“My objection is completely about traffic impact in the area,” Mr Smart said.

“Traffic entering and leaving the proposed development can’t be accommodated in nearby residential streets.

“To allow 58 dwellings with 96 vehicle access at the top of Tower Rd means, I can expect, we can have 100 extra vehicle movements through our street every day”.

A concept design of the 58 townhouses approved to be built in Werribee. Picture: IN8 Architects

The number of town houses in the new 3 Tower Rd plan was reduced from 70 to 58, after an independent review raised concerns when the original plan was lodged last year.

The block will also have 96 carparking spaces.

Councillors voted 7-2 in favour of the development at its planning meeting this week.

Cr Mia Shaw voted against the proposal, claiming it was an “overdevelopment” of the site.

“I think we knew once Southern Rural Water sold off part of their site that we’d be looking and having to make a decision on a development of this size based on the size of parcel of land,” she said.

“I don’t think going from 70 to 58 town houses is actually a good outcome at all especially for local neighbourhood amenity.

“I certainly agree with objectors in relation to traffic issues, this is a very serious traffic issue and one I’m giving a lot of weight to in terms of my decision in not supporting this decision.”

Cr Marcel Mahfoud, who voted in favour of the application, said it was a “great application” that ticked all the boxes.

“It’s close to the activity centre, it fits all the guidelines and there’s some good communal space,” he said.

“Yes the original application had more dwellings proposed … but after sitting with council officers the applicant has amended that and I think this has made for a proposal I can happily support”.