Torquay protesters gather to oppose $50m Cypress Lane retirement development

More than 100 protesters have marched in a Surf Coast town opposing a $50m development, with community consultation for the controversial plans set to end this week.

Torquay residents are protesting the planned Cypress Lane development. Picture: Mike Dugdale

MORE than 100 protesters have marched in a Surf Coast town opposing a $50m development, with community consultation for the controversial plans set to end this week.

The move to sell off a popular pocket of Torquay land on Cypress Lane to build more than 100 retirement village units has been met with fierce opposition by residents, who rallied on Saturday.

A spokesman for the Save Cypress Lane group, Mark Matthews, said he feared the Surf Coast Shire was being short sighted on the potential environmental impacts of the large development.

A protest against the Cypress Lane development in Torquay. Picture: Mike Dugdale

“There’s two aspects to object, one is the planning application for the retirement village and the other is the sale of the land,” he said.

“We are getting very close to the dates that council are asking for objections to be sent in.

“We wanted to make sure that if anyone thinks this should not go ahead then they still have an opportunity to put in a submission objecting it.”

Submissions for the community consultation period end on April 7.

Developers recently handed in new amended plans for the village and dozens of proposed villas to the council last month, including reducing a planned four-storey clubhouse to three.

The proposed three-storey villas along the southern side of the site would also be reduced to two storeys, while a two-storey apartment building would be situated in the southeast corner, with basement parking.

Many neighbouring residents do not want the large development to go ahead. Picture: Mike Dugdale

“The redesign of the project has sought to address some of the concerns of the objectors, specifically in relation to building scale and form,” developer Toni Sincock said in the planning documents.

Mr Matthews said it made little difference to the “unsuitability” of the development at a location frequently used by residents.

“We still have an opportunity here to stop this or change it to something more suitable,” he said.

“I’m not against development, I’m just against inappropriate development.

“This will become a gated community, if you look at the plans there is a gate on the front.

“You won’t be able to walk through with your dogs like we do now.

“The other aspect we are very suspicious about is this council does not have a good history in identifying things that might have an impact on the environment before they happen.”

Originally published as Torquay protesters gather to oppose $50m Cypress Lane retirement development