A NEIGHBOUR came close to tears when she stood to oppose a new development mooted for the corner of Shakespeare and Hobart Streets.

Vincent councillors knocked back the 18-unit project on Tuesday night but the decision will be appealed to the powerful but unelected state administrative tribunal.

The Mount Hawthorn project attracted the ire of speaker after speaker at question time, with locals concerned about the height and bulk of the Baker Investments-owned plan, to be built by Domination Homes.

One nearby neighbour approached the microphone on the verge of tears as she described how the builder had started demolition without notifying her and left her backyard looking like a war zone.

“The development is absolutely overbearing for residents next door to it.

“The developer is not community-minded, it’s all about making money,” she said, voice wavering.

“He is extremely arrogant, he does not respond to emails. To send his architect [to council and not come himself] is incredibly cowardly.”

The site used to be home to the Mt Hawthorn Masonic Hall.

Mayor John Carey, who’d voted against the hall’s demolition in 2011, said it was unfortunate it was knocked down.

“I thought it did have heritage value,” he said.

When council approved the demolition the project to replace it had five fewer units than what is now proposed. Former councillor Dudley Maier noted at the time that even if the council had rejected demolition, the SAT would most likely have allowed it on appeal.

by DAVID BELL