News

Cranbourne News

Saved by the bell

By Bridget Brady

26th November 2009 02:06:09 AM

Left: Tooradin Primary School principal Marj Scarce said she was happy VCAT upheld a Casey council decision to refuse the

THE Tooradin Primary School community feels it has been saved by a VCAT decision to reject a planning application for 22 dwellings in Tooradin.

Principal Marj Scarce said the school was very worried about the safety of its students, given the application would see many driveways built facing Bayview Road where students would have crossed to get to school.

“We felt it was too many dwellings on a block adjoining a school. We were very concerned with the safety of our students,” Ms Scarce said.

“It gets very, very busy at drop off and pick up time.”

The school community was represented at last month’s VCAT hearing when the developer, W&B Group c/o Taylors Development Strategists, appealed Casey Council’s decision earlier in the year to refuse the planning application at 49 South Gippsland Highway.

In refusing the application, the council concurred with the Tooradin residents who objected to the development, saying the 22 dwellings were out of character for the coastal village town.

“Tooradin is a nice, small coastal village. Cramming more and more houses and buildings into our community will destroy the village,” one of the objectors said.

VCAT chair John Keaney agreed with the council that the density of the development was at odds with Casey’s planning scheme that mentioned maintaining the rural character of the town.

High demand on the town’s sewerage system and coastal vulnerability were among some of the other concerns raised by residents.

“It strikes me that it (application) is a design of an intensity not seen nor contemplated for the town,” Mr Keaney said.

“Placing 22 dwellings close to one another on this site would be a jarring intrusion onto that setting and it is clearly at odds with the policy framework for council.”

The school had done a lot of work to nestle into and be part of the environment, Ms Scarce said.

She also said the planning application did not cater for any green space.

Gum trees that had been planted on the boundary of the school would have been lost with the application, she said.

The developer is considering its options in regards to a further appeal.

development of 22 dwellings near the school. 39847 Picture: Stewart Chambers