Lenna of Hobart’s owners want to spend $60 million on an expansion, council appeals

Hobart City Council will remain a party to an appeal over the Lenna development, after amended plans were sent back to council by the planning tribunal. Latest >>

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HOBART City Council will remain a party to an appeal over the Lenna development, after amended plans were sent back to council by the planning tribunal.

The $60m Lenna of Hobart Hotel development would feature a seven-storey boutique accommodation building where the heritage hotel’s car park currently exists.

The proposal was rejected by Hobart City Council in 2018 and has been fought by nearby Battery Point residents.

The development was in mediation for much of 2020 before the applicants appealed the rejection before the Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal February.

During this process the applicants amended the plans, reducing the height and bulk of the structure.

Revised designs of the Lenna hotel development.

The project was sent back to council by the RMPAT given the changed plans.

At Monday night’s council meeting, elected members approved a recommendation from the planning committee that council continue to refuse the project and participate in the appeal on planning grounds, but no longer on heritage grounds.

The motion was carried 8-4.

Alderman Simon Behrakis said council should take the option to approve the project given the applicant’s changes to the design.

Mr Behrakis said the hotel was surrounded by taller buildings including the silos.

“It’s a bit rich to suggest what we’ve got here is … substantially higher than what we currently have there, in volume or mass,” he said.

“I think we should do the right thing and let this go through.”

Both Alderman Behrakis and Alderman Marti Zucco expressed concern at the cost to ratepayers of continuing to participate in the planning appeal.

“What we are doing right now is risking further council funds and further ratepayers’ funds to fight a battle that I feel we will lose,” Mr Zucco said.

Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds she still had concerns about the project, noting the area around Lenna was a heritage precinct of national significance.

‘When we think about risking ratepayers’ funds and risking things, I think we also need to think about the risk to Hobart,” she said.

“We are the guardians of this really important precinct not just for current residents but future residents, visitors and everybody that loves these really key elements of Hobart.”

The tribunal is due to make a decision on the project in May.

MARCH 18: LENNA’S “significant” amend­ments to a planned multimillion-dollar expansion of the hotel has again been given the cold shoulder by a council committee.

The $60 million Lenna of Hobart Hotel development was originally proposed in 2017, with objections from the community seeing the plans revised and submitted for approval in 2018 to build a new 33.2m, seven-storey boutique accommodation where the heritage hotel’s car park currently exists.

The proposal was rejected by Hobart City Council in 2018 as Battery Point locals shared concerns about blocking views of kunanyi/Mt Wellington and imposing on Princes Park.

The development was in mediation for much of 2020 before the developers appealed the rejection before the Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal on February 4, 2021.

Lenna proposed changes to their application under section 22 of the Resource Management & Planning Appeal Tribunal Act 1993 including reducing the upper roof height, reducing the floor space and other adjustments.

The tribunal approved the changed plans to go to council’s planning committee, but the appeal process is ongoing.

Lenna owner Lloyd Clark told Monday’s planning committee meeting the business had made “significant concessions” on the redevelopment’s design to address concerns.

The planning committee rejected the plans four votes to two, with the decision to be considered by the full council next week.

A Battery Point Community Association spokesman said the group “wishes council to maintain its opposition to the proposal and for the proposal to go back to the full hearing of the tribunal”.

The recommendation will be considered at next Monday’s full council meeting.