Geelong council waters down controversial Highton Village UDF plan

Geelong councillors have altered a controversial plan to overhaul Highton Village, following major community opposition.

Highton Village UDF artist's impressions

Geelong councillors have watered down a controversial plan to overhaul Highton Village, including a move to allow four-storey developments, following widespread community opposition.

The council on Tuesday voted to adopt the Final Highton Village Urban Design Framework (UDF), establishing a series of actions to guide the future development of the popular location almost six years after first developing the plan.

Highton Village UDF artist's impressions

The plan had received hundreds of community submissions, largely objecting to the intensification of development in the Village, prompting the council to endorse the plans with a series of changes.

While the final UDF presented to the city included a key recommendation to “promote high-quality mixed use development up to four storeys”, the amended plan will now limit building heights to 9m on Belle Vue Ave “to protect the character of the Highton Village.

The last minute changes also included retaining the Belle Vue Ave roundabout, access to the clock tower and access to the service road from Belle Vue Ave and Barrabool Rd, and for not net loss of parking and no new pedestrian crossings.

Councillor Ron Nelson, who put forward the amended motion, said he did so “because I love the village – the trees, the cafes, the restaurants, everything that the village has to offer”.

“It’s clear that residents love the look and feel of the village, and that’s why we live here,” Mr Nelson said. “What we don’t want is overdevelopment that has occurred in and around the village.”

“It is important that Council reflects the views of the community in its decision making and I am glad we have reached this outcome.”

The framework includes five primary recommendations and projects, which will now be impacted by the council changes, including to:

CONSOLIDATE commercial land uses within the retail core to promote a compact village centre;

PROMOTE high-quality mixed use development up to four storeys that respects the low-scale built form of the Village;

REDEVELOP the council car park for a mixed use development and carparking, in the long term;

REDESIGN the junction of Belle Vue Ave and Barrabool Rd to reduce vehicle conflicts; and

UNDERTAKE streetscape upgrade works in Barrabool Rd service lane, Village Walk, Belle Vue Arcade, the rear laneway and Belle Vue Ave to emphasise pedestrian routes and create a unified material palette throughout the village.

The UDF will now move through a planning scheme amendment process and will have design plans drawn up, with community members once again able to provide feedback to the city during the processes.

Originally published as Geelong council waters down controversial Highton Village UDF plan