Brighton homes to be demolished to pave the way for Haileybury College’s creative arts centre

An elite private school has been given the green light by the state government to knock over historic homes and build a luxury arts centre, despite community backlash.

How Haileybury College’s luxury $50m new creative arts centre will look.

Historic homes in Brighton East will be demolished to make way for a luxury $50m new creative arts centre at Haileybury College.

The 18m, three-storey building at Victoria’s biggest private school has just been given the green light by the State Government despite 120 objections from residents and the council.

Up to 700 students will attend assemblies, weeknight theatre performances, drama and music concerts and sporting events in the building.

It comes as residents battling to save the historic suburbs of Melbourne are losing out to private schools and developers.

There were 120 objections from residents and the council about the arts centre.

Under changes to planning laws in 2019, the government can grant fast-track approval for developments at private schools.

In 2023, Planning Minister Sonya Kilenny allowed developments at Mentone Grammar, Firbank Grammar, Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar, Ivanhoe Grammar and Geelong Grammar, among dozens of others.

The controversial Haileybury College project will see three interwar bungalows destroyed on South Road and significant alterations made to dwellings on Imbros and Villeroy Sts.

Ms Kilkenny approved the structure on June 26, ending a battle over the site which dates back as far as 2006.

The application from the school also calls for the removal of a cap of 700 on numbers for the land-locked site in a residential area, with an additional 15 staff and 145 students accommodated in coming years.

It creates an “omnibus” permit that applies to the entire 5 hectare Brighton campus of the elite school.

Gary Crocker, co-chair of the Respect Castlefield Residents Group, said the minister ignored the objections of around 190 residents, as well as Bayside Council.

“She has disrespected us and overlooked our clear objections about traffic flows and safety, loss of heritage and loss of amenity,” he said.

“If it’s happening here it could happen anywhere else,” Mr Crocker said.

A Haileybury spokeswoman said the school “is pleased that the plans to improve the Brighton Campus, which was established in 1932, have been approved”.

“The school will work closely with those involved with this important project, and with the local council, as the development progresses,” she said.

A VCAT ruling last month acknowledged the “battles” being fought over the suburbs of Melbourne.

Member Michael Deidun approved a four-storey 13m high apartment block on 385 and 387 Wattletree Rd in Malvern East which was opposed by residents and the council.

He said that despite being “taller and broader” than others in the neighbourhood, there was a “net community benefit” despite clear drawbacks for nearby residents.

Caulfield Grammar had previously planned to build an early learning centre on the site but sold it to developers in May this year.