Perth Voice Interactive

SUBIACO councillor Mark Burns has beaten Vincent council in his bid to open a gym next to the popular Bikram yoga studio in North Perth.

The studio already ties neighbours in knots over parking and the council feared a gym would make things worse.

While a council planning officer had written the application should be approved, as it met guidelines, former CEO John Giorgi scribbled the recommendation out to state it should be rejected, in order to “protect and enhance the health, safety and physical welfare of the city’s inhabitants”.

The council followed his advice, but Mr Burns was gob-smacked by the intervention, saying he’d never seen anything like it in 30 years of planning experience.

Mr Giorgi told nervous councillors he believed “I feel quite strongly that we can win this at the SAT” in the event of an appeal.

But he was wrong.

“It’s taken eight months of time and money wasting by the city for them to do what their planner originally advised,” Mr Burns said, sounding like he might need a bit of de-stressing. We recommend yoga.

by DAVID BELL