THE Spotlight building in Fremantle’s East End is a step closer to being redeveloped.

On Wednesday, Fremantle council’s planning committee recommended the local development assessment panel approve plans for an eight-storey, mixed-use development, with 72 multiple dwellings and seven commercial tenancies.

Lawyers were split over whether the height of the building complied with the local planning scheme, but mayor Brad Pettitt says they shouldn’t risk delaying its development over a legal technicality.

“I can’t imagine anything less than a bomb being detrimental to the area,” he said.

“We could waste 18-24 months on a scheme amendment while the site sits empty.

“This is a good development and a good chance to entice more people to the East End.”

Fremantle Society president John Dowson complained his members had spent days preparing a detailed submission on the application which had not been included, or referenced, in the council agenda.

“Recommending approval, when the city’s legal advice says it does not comply, could set a nasty precedent for other developments,” he said.

The recommendation has still to go to council and ultimately the DAP.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK