Peregian Beach supermarket redevelopment bid bound for Planning and Environment Court

A long-running battle to redevelop a prime beachfront retail block has taken a new turn as determined owners take Noosa Council to court for a second time.

A developer trying to upgrade the abandoned Friendly Grocer store at Peregian Beach is challenging a council refusal of its bid in the Planning and Environment Court.

A long-running battle to redevelop a prime beachfront retail block has taken a new turn as determined owners take Noosa Council to court for a second time.

Directors of the company which owns the site, Andema Pty Ltd, are not giving up on the abandoned Friendly Grocer supermarket site at Peregian Beach despite having previously failed to convince the council and the Planning and Environment Court to approve its proposals.

They are challenging the council's refusal last year to grant another extension to a development approval it had for the Peregian Village corner site in 2012.

It came after the court last September rejected Andema's appeal against a council refusal in 2019 of its bid for a ground floor eatery and rooftop dining.

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Andema's directors are listed as Sydney residents John Ramage and Brian Nicholls and New Zealand resident Bret Jackson.

They want the original approval for a two-storey office, entertainment, dining and retail space extended, saying the proposed scale and form of the development is suitable for the area.

Court documents lodged on their behalf say the new building is "consistent with long standing community expectations" for the site.

The Friendly Grocer store in Peregian before it closed its doors.

"The proposed development responds to and protects the natural beach experience which provides a safe public area for aesthetic enjoyment and recreational and social interaction," the documents say.

The documents say Andema aims to rejuvenate the site and the development will facilitate additional investment and economic development in the centre and in Peregian Beach.

The council said in its rejection of the extension bid the proposal was not small in scale in the context of Peregian Beach village and would impact on the area's amenity.

"The proposal does not retain and enhance the built form of streetscape character of the centre as the scheme has excessive plot ratio and site cover and proposes inadequate setbacks to the village green," council said in its reasons for rejection.

The appeal court has been set the matter down for review on May 14.

The Peregian Beach Community Association, which supported council's rejection last year of the first application, has requested the council take action to improve "the unsightly and unhealthy state of the premises".

Originally published as Peregian Beach supermarket redevelopment bid bound for Planning and Environment Court