Lets just get on with it!

Isn’t it wonderful to see transparent and accountable local government processes at work! 

During May, starting with a committee meeting on Tuesday 10^th May and then a full council meeting later in May, the City of Nedlands will consider the recommendations regarding the developer’s Outline Development Plan (ODP) for the Old Swanbourne Hospital  (OSH).  Readers may recall that the WA Planning Commission recently approved the developer's revised ODP for advertising by the City in order to obtain public feedback. 

The City has now assessed the submissions made during the recent public consultation period ( 8 March to 29 March). 

It's worthwhile downloading the City’s reports (look under "reports" for the May 2011 link) that will be considered by the City of Nedlands committee and reading them carefully.  Among other information there is a very useful detailed chronology of all the events that have transpired with the Old Swanbourne Hospital over recent years.

If you are short of time here is my summary. 

Profile of Public Submissions

There were 157 submissions, of which the majority of 84 (54%) had no objection to the revised ODP. 

There were a further 10 submissions with no objection subject to various provisos, and a further 58 submissions objecting to the ODP.  Finally there were 5 more submissions expressing various views but neither supporting or objecting .  

You  can see my position in my earlier post .   

The City officers have summarised the public submissions in some detail. 

Concerns or views were expressed about the amount of public open space, the public access and view corridors across the site and the preservation of the heritage buildings, preserving trees on site and height of the development. 

There was also support for some of the community agreed 2005 plan elements such as not allowing access to and across the site by vehicles entering from St John’s Wood Boulevard.

Recommendations to the City of Nedlands

In its response to the submissions, the City officers have made a recommendation that the City approve the ODP subject to conditions that reflect the public input and which also seek to maintain consistency with the City of Nedlands Town Planning Scheme No. 2 (which contains the planning parameters agreed through the 2005 and 2006 community consultation process and endorsed by the Heritage Council of WA). 

I have copied the recommendations in full below.

I think the City officers have done a great job in capturing the views and concerns expressed through the public submissions, and I support the recommendations they have put forward. 

Let’s hope the City Councilors support their officers and continue to maintain the integrity and transparency of the community consultation process conducted prior to the sale of the property to the current owner.

Mt Claremont People want to see the beautiful heritage buildings in the heart of our community used and loved in the way we agreed  – let’s get on with it!

City of Nedlands Outlines the Facts - and another tight deadline!

The residents of Mount Claremont received this letter from the City of Nedlands Mayor  Sheryl Froese a few days ago.

This is the first page:

and this is the second page:

Some readers may remember an earlier post on January 14 when I speculated about a Plan A or Plan B strategy.

Plan A:  Under the Heritage Council of WA's Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990, The Minister transfers planning authority to the Western Australian Planning Commission and the owner agrees on a development strategy with the pubic servants working for the Commission.  No more need for time consuming and frustrating public consultation!   


Or the fallback:

Plan B:  The Western Australian Planning Commission approves the revised ODP, the Nedlands City Council advertises it for comment, and people of Mount Claremont have the opportunity for input.   Nedlands City Council remains the planning authority, under the watchful eye of the Planning Commission.


So - from reading the Mayor's letter, it seems we now see Plan B swinging into action!




Despite being caught in a pincer movement between:


a) the Heritage Council of WA and its proposal to suspend the Town Planning Scheme No 2 as it applies to the Old Swanbourne Hospital on the one hand - 


and 


b) the WA Planning Commission's tactical timing  in approving the advertising of the revised ODP for the Old Swanbourne Hospital on the other hand (just after the public submission period closed for the Heritage Council's proposal) ;


 - the Council is doggedly continuing in it's efforts to preserve the intent and wishes of Mt Claremont people about the development framework that should apply to the Swanbourne Hospital Conservation Area. 


What to do now?


While we wait for the Minister for Heritage to receive recommendations from the Heritage Council of WA following the analysis of the public submissions, please make sure that you have a look at the Outline Development Plan (ODP) for the Old Swanbourne Hospital approved by the WA Planning Commission - which will be advertised for public comment back to the City of Nedlands for only 21 days - from Tuesday 8th March to Tuesday 29th March.


The proposed ODP is available for viewing at the City of Nedlands administrative office at 71 Stirling Highway, Nedlands, at the City's libraries and online at nedlands.wa.gov.au .


In her letter copied above, Mayor Froese warns us that the proposed ODP approved for advertising by the WA Planning Commission contains plans that "are significantly different to the city's proposed development plans" - which are based on the original community consultation.


Look out for:


Higher buildings than approved (the SAT rejected a tall structure out of context with the heritage buildings)
Less Public Open Space (we wanted maximum public open space)
Access from St John's Wood Boulevard (we wanted access from Heritage Lane)
Gated community (we wanted open access around the heritage buildings)
Great plot density (we wanted density similar to the surrounding Mt Claremont subdivision)


After you have had a look at the proposed ODP - make sure that you let City of Nedlands know what your views are by the closing date of 29th March.  


As requested in the Mayor's letter, either write to the City of Nedlands:


The Chief Executive Officer
City of Nedlands
PO Box 9,
Nedlands  WA   6009


or 


ring the City of Nedlands Planning Services on 9273 3500


or 


send an email to:  council@nedlands.wa.gov.au


The City of Nedlands needs your input and support and individual councillors need to know that people are interested and watching this process.  


Over to you.

Communication from the owner of Old Swanbourne Hospital

I found this brochure in my letter box this evening.  Again - good to see some communication from the owners.  You can read the message in the brochure on a new website too:  www.oldswanbournehospital.com .  Read it and make up your own mind.  You may also want to check out the website for the developer mentioned in the brochure :  www.watersunproperty.com.au . It has details of the proposed development (which involves the 14 residential lots and either 52 or 34 apartments).

Just one little point of clarification - I haven't seen any communication from the City of Nedlands on this matter since the meeting between the Heritage Council of WA and the City of Nedlands just before Christmas.  You can read all about that remarkable meeting in an earlier post. So I don't think it is correct for the brochure to refer to "misrepresentation by the City of Nedlands".

Please make sure you have made your submission to the Heritage Council of WA by the  18th February.  If you want to retain the community agreed plan - which is expressed in the City of Nedlands Town Planning Scheme No 2 - then oppose the proposal by the Heritage Council to transfer planning authority to the WA Planning Commission.

NO REASON TO DELAY MATTERS FURTHER SAYS COUNCILLOR

This is a great letter from Councillor Irene Tan in the Post Newspaper on 29 January.

No need to say any more really.

Please make sure you send your submission to the Heritage Council of WA opposing their proposal  to transfer planning authority over the Swanbourne Hospital Conservation Area to the WA Planning Commission.


You need to get your submission in by 18 February 2011.

A Letter from the Heritage Council of WA Executive Director

I have copied a letter from Heritage Council of WA published in the Post on 22 January 2011 (copied above).  The letter makes the following points:

1.  (I quote) "the Heritage Council's primary concern is the conservation of these iconic buildings and is very concerned that delays in redeveloping the site have resulted in the buildings deteriorating and being subject to vandalism and other damage"; and
2. "One way to resolve the impasse between the developer and City of Nedlands is to transfer planning approval to the WA Planning Commission; and
3.  "The WAPC would consult with Nedlands on any development on the site.  The final decision would be consistent with the advice of the Heritage Council which has the statutory responsibility to ensure a positive heritage outcome for state-registered places."; and
4.  The Heritage Council has provided a two month period to lodge submissions, which close on February 18.


At face value this all sounds eminently reasonable.  But what the letter doesn't say is:

1.  The City of Nedlands has been trying to keep the developer to the terms of the community agreed plan - which was developed through a process facilitated by the WA Government, the Heritage Council itself and the City of Nedlands and then incorporated into the City of Nedlands Town Planning Scheme No 2 - the very scheme that the Heritage Council of WA is now trying to suspend through the use of the a little used clause in the Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990.  The property was then sold to the developer for $6.65 million in 2005 subject to the terms of this community agreed plan.

2. The Heritage Council of WA has contributed to the delays in the development of the site and through actively supporting the developer (since the sale by the WA Government) in appeals against the City of Nedlands Town Planning Scheme No 2 Guidelines - most recently in the developer's unsuccessful appeal to SAT in 2008.

3.  The City of Nedlands approved the revised Outline Development Plan submitted by the developer in May 2009 and in August 2010 approved advertising of the revised Outline Development Plan.  Since then the the City of Nedlands has been waiting for the WA Planning Commission to consent to the revised Outline Development plan being advertised for public comment.

4.  When the Heritage Council originally announced to the City of Nedlands on 14 December 2010, just before the Christmas holidays, that it was intending to move to suspend the Town Planning Scheme, the period for public submissions was originally to close on 14th January.  The City of Nedlands was able to persuade the Heritage Council to extend the period for a further month, to 18th February.  Why was there a rush to complete the public consultation over the Christmas and New Year holiday?  You can read more about this remarkable chain of events
here in an earlier post.

It seems to many Mt Claremont people that the "impasse" referred to in the letter from the Heritage Council is actually caused by the developer (with the support of  the Heritage Council) trying to move outside the parameters of the community agreed plan.

Please make sure you send a letter to the Heritage Council by the 18th February objecting to the proposal to suspend the City of Nedlands Town Planning Scheme and transfer planning control to the WA Planning Commission.

Your letter must be signed and dated and should be sent to:

The Executive Director,
Office of Heritage,
PO Box 6201,
East Perth  WA   6892


Thanks for your support


David Thomas

WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE SAT OUTCOME IN 2008?

As we know, the owner's appeal against the City of Nedlands planning decisions was rejected by the WA State Administrative Tribunal in late 2008.

I have been wondering what has been happening since then and the Christmas Eve announcement by the Heritage Council in 2010?

I then remembered a letter I had received from the City of Nedlands in late August 2010.  From talking to other Mount Claremont People I know that the letter was sent to a lot of other residents in Mount Claremont.

I pulled out the letter and it saw that it was advising residents that on 24 August 2010 a revised Outline Development Plan (ODP) submitted by the owner was approved to by the Council subject to conditions.  The Council intended to then submit the ODP to the Western Australian Planning Commission for their approval to advertise the draft plan.

I am not really sure what is in the revised ODP because it has not yet been advertised for public submissions.

The letter went on to say that if the Western Australian Planning Commission approved the ODP, it would be advertised in November 2010 for public comment and consultation.

Attached to the letter was a schedule of events that have occurred since the property was sold by the WA Government to the owner.  I have copied the most recent events above and you can access the full document from the link on the sidebar.

Can we  assume that because the ODP wasn't advertised, the Western Australian Planning Commission wasn't happy to approve the ODP?

Then, before just before Christmas this year, the Heritage Council of WA announced that the Minister for Heritage intended to suspend the City of Nedlands Town Planning Scheme No. 2 and transfer  total planning authority over the Old Swanbourne Hospital  to the Western Australian Planning Commission.

Is this a Plan A, Plan B strategy?

Plan A:  Under the Heritage Council of WA's Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990, The Minister transfers planning authority to the Western Australian Planning Commission and the owner agrees on a development strategy with the pubic servants working for the Commission.  No more need for time consuming and frustrating public consultation!  

Or the fallback:

Plan B:  The Western Australian Planning Commission approves the revised ODP, the Nedlands City Council advertises it for comment, and people of Mount Claremont have the opportunity for input.   Nedlands City Council remains the planning authority, under the watchful eye of the Planning Commission.

Though Plan B is more preferable than Plan A - I prefer neither.  However - it looks like that is the way this game is being snookered!

The best outcome is to develop the Old Swanbourne Hospital under the community agreed guidelines under which the property was sold by the WA Government to the owner and as contained in City of Nedlands Town Planning Scheme No. 2.

Please make a strong  submission opposing the proposed move to transfer the City of Nedlands planning powers to the Western Australian Planning Commission by writing to the Heritage Council of WA by the closing date for public submissions - 18th February,  2010.

Your submission must be in the form of a signed written letter, addressed to:

The Executive Director
Office of Heritage,
PO Box 6201,
East Perth  WA  6892



David Thomas