A FIVE-STOREY proposal for the historic West End of Fremantle has been knocked back by the local development assessment panel.
West Perth-based Henry Street Project Pty Ltd had wanted the fifth storey in return for retaining the facade of the old Fremantle Workers Club on Henry Street.
The council’s planning rules for the West End generally restrict buildings to three storeys, but there are bonuses for developers who retain heritage.
Lance Holt School and Mouat Street resident John Dowson (a West End heritage expert) had argued the site wasn’t heritage listed and the facade was too bland to deserve a height bonus.
The panel, most of whose five members are appointed by the Barnett government, had previously deferred the application so the proponent could submit plans showing what the building — a mix of offices and 25 apartments — would look like with four floors.
The requested plans never arrived so the proposal was rejected. It is likely to go to mediation or the powerful state administrative tribunal.
Good. The Workers Club looks atrocious They should’ve offered to knock it down and build something with 3 stories at the front, to match it with with adjacent buildings, and 5 story setbacks.