Plans to replace ‘local eyesore’ deemed unsuitable

Plans for an entertainment and retail complex to transform a dilapidated block at Peregian Village have been deemed unsuitable.

Is this the right look for Peregian?

Plans for an entertainment and retail complex to transform a dilapidated block at Peregian Village have been deemed unsuitable by council planners.

The development application by Dave Maloney Investments to build an entertainment, dining and retail complex at Heron St will be back up for debate at the Noosa Council next week.

It would replace a closed down Friendly Grocer, which locals say has become an eyesore.

The company has requested an extension to the development permit, which was issued in 2012 under the Sunshine Coast Regional Council.

Noosa council’s planning co-ordinator Patrick Murphy is recommending the application be refused because the entertainment, dining, shops and retail complex’s scale and its bulky look does not fit in with the surroundings.

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Mr Murphy said the proposal would exceed the maximum plot ratio of the site and does not provide a two-metre setback to the village green.

Councillors must decide if the redevelopment of the corner supermarket site would disrupt the village’s “visual continuity” and impact on the area’s amenity.

Back in the day when the Peregian Friendly Grocer was still trading.

Peregian Beach Bakery owner Kristina Farmer, whose business is beside the abandoned site, said she was keen to see some sort of development sympathetic to the village’s feel to replace the current eyesore.

“We don’t want to put in anything too out of keeping with what’s already here, but I mean it can’t look any worse than it presently does,” Ms Farmer said.

“It’s absolutely dreadful and it’s such a big area of space and such a big building, it kind of brings the whole area down.

“So they really need to do something about it quickly.”

Ms Farmer said it was good the council was trying to make the development look right.

She said it had been at least a couple of years since the grocery store traded.

“We had problems not long ago with rats and everything around, because there’s still a bit of a mess in there,” she said.

“It does need to go it’s very dilapidated now.

“We love that village feel about Peregian so something in keeping with the area would fit in there perfectly.

“Obviously we don’t want triple decker buildings.”

Council planners maintain the proposal does not retain or enhance the built form of streetscape character of the centre as the scheme has excessive plot ratio and site cover.

The proposed development for the crucial Peregian development site.

Mr Murphy said the existing approval allowed for a gross floor area of 454 sqm, or more than twice the maximum permitted under the superseded Noosa planning scheme.

The approved structure comprises of a two-storey building with a mixed restaurant and shop on the ground floor, and office tenancies on the first floor.

A roof top terrace was also approved for the use of tenants only, with no access permitted to the public.

Mr Murphy said the building’s proposed flat roof did not fit the preferred soft and articulated pitched or curved roof forms of no less than five degrees, sought by the previous Noosa Plan.

In June last year council refused an application which included building a roof top restaurant which was appealed in the Planning and Environment Court with the decision still to be released.

The proposal included restaurant dining from 7am until 9pm seven days a week.

Ms Farmer said she was not entirely opposed to that concept.

“I think that would be quite good for Peregian as long as it doesn’t look too outlandish,” she said.

“I guess for the residents the noise would be an issue.”

Peregian Beach Community Association president Barry Cotterell said his group supported the council recommendation not to extend the development period.

“Now they find themselves in a situation where it doesn’t comply with the previous superseded plan and the new Noosa Plan,” Mr Cotterell said.

“Time has moved on.

“The village has lost the food store, they’ve lost what was approved in 2012 and now the place is just filthy.”

Consultants for the developer have been contacted for comment but are yet to respond.

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