A PROPPOSEED 10-storey tower at Leighton Beach would double the precinct’s established height limit and set an unwelcome precedent for further development, North Fremantle Community Association convenor Gerry MacGill has warned.
Mr MacGill is urging the City of Fremantle to oppose the development at Lot 5, 35 Leighton Beach Boulevard, which would comprise 81 apartments, a ground-floor commercial tenancy and extensive resident amenities.
“The proposal exceeds by 100 per cent the five storey height limit specified in the 2005 Leighton Beach Structure Plan, prepared by Landgate and The City of Fremantle in consultation with the community, and faithfully adhered to by succeeding developments,” he said.
The $90 million proposal, designed by Hillam Architects for Edge Holdings No. 22 Pty Ltd, is being promoted as a landmark building at the southern gateway to the Leighton Beach precinct.
The developer argues the site’s prominent corner location, close to North Fremantle train station and adjacent to a future urban intensification area, makes it suitable for increased height.
But Mr MacGill said the inclusion of 149 resident parking bays for 81 apartments undermined the argument the development was being driven by its proximity to public transport.
He also warned the tower could establish a precedent for development on a large area of land to the south, currently zoned Urban Deferred and subject to an application to the WA Planning Commission for an urban zoning change.
“If successful, this move would open the floodgates of development applications while major issues of transport and coastal setbacks remain unaddressed,” he said.
Landscape architect Grant Revell, who has lodged a public submission against the proposal, said the tower was inconsistent with the planning principles that had shaped Leighton Beach.
“The proposed Lot 5 development is 11 storeys in height. Twice the height of other buildings in the established neighbourhood, within the agreed structure plan,” he wrote, counting the covered roof terrace as the 11th storey.
The development application seeks approval for 10 storeys, plus a communal rooftop terrace, reaching 45.52 metres.
The existing development controls specify a maximum height of five storeys and 26.5m AHD.
The developer argues a taller, slimmer building would reduce its overall footprint and improve views compared with a broader building within the permitted height envelope.
It says the proposed tower would occupy about 43 per cent of the site, compared with about 74.5 per cent under the permitted envelope, while its plot ratio of 2.94:1 would remain below the allowed 3:1.
Mr Revell questioned the visual assessment, arguing it did not adequately examine the tower’s impact from public vantage points around Leighton Beach, including the beach, parklands and surrounding residential area.
The developer says the proposal aligns with the City’s recently endorsed Local Planning Strategy, which identifies North Fremantle as a district centre expected to accommodate about 920 additional dwellings and 1803 residents by 2036.
It also points to the City’s North Fremantle planning work, which has contemplated building heights of five to 11 or more storeys along the Bracks Street spine, and state planning policies supporting higher-density housing near railway stations.
The application will be determined by the Metro Inner Development Assessment Panel, following a report and recommendation from the City of Fremantle.
Mr MacGill said the association had only recently become aware of the proposal and urged residents to make submissions calling on the City to oppose it.
Submissions on the City of Fremantle’s mysay.fremantle.wa.gov.au site close Tuesday November 10.
by STEVE GRANT