Units get all-clear

Highton aged housing

A FOUR-STOREY development catering for vulnerable older people will be built in Highton after the state’s planning tribunal overturned a decision from Geelong council.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has given the green light for Wintringham Housing to construct 22 one-bedroom units at a site on South Valley Rd.

Wintringham provides social housing for elderly residents who are disadvantaged, homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The not-for-profit launched an appeal at VCAT after City Hall rejected the Highton proposal, which has been estimated to cost $5 million.

The council and several nearby residents have opposed the project over concerns about the building’s scale and its potential impact on the area’s character.

The development is set adjacent to Wintringham’s existing facility on Cranwell Ct and will reach a maximum height of 13 metres.

It is situated within the Waurn Ponds Increased Housing Diversity Area ( IHDA), which VCAT member Michael Nelthorpe said was a decisive factor in his ruling.

He said the proposal fit within the planning policy, which encouraged greater housing diversity and buildings responding to the “evolving character” of the area.

“The building presents as well-articulated and carefully designed,” he said. “It (the Waurn Ponds IHDA) acknowledges that medium density housing will impact on the neighbourhood’s character.

“It encourages well-designed medium density development when existing house lots are redeveloped.”

The proposed units will contain a kitchen, separate bathroom, lounge area and bedroom.

Wintringham currently manages 70 units across four sites in Geelong, including in Manifold Heights and Belmont. The new development will be integrated with the organisation’s existing 34-unit complex in Highton.