Perth Voice Interactive

COUNCILLOR Brent Fleeton is replacing Cr Dan Bull as Bayswater council’s deputy member of the local development assessment panel.

The switch comes after the Voice broke news last month that Cr Bull, a lawyer, had resigned as he didn’t want to be part of an “undemocratic” state-appointed DAP.

Cr Fleeton, an active member of the Liberal Party, will sit on the metro central panel when council panellists Chris Cornish and Terry Kenyon can’t, and get to vote on applications of more than $2 million.

He told the Voice he wanted the job because, “I think I can add value to our community on this extremely important approval body”.

He stated in his nomination form for last October’s election he wants, “development of our suburbs to be welcomed, not delayed by pressure groups”.  He promises to prioritise council and residents’ demands when making decisions, but refused to say how he might have voted if he’d been on the panel last month, weighing up Yolk Property Group’s divisive plans for 27-apartment complex at 9-11 King William Street.

“I wasn’t there to go over all the details so I’m not willing to comment on that,” he told the Voice.

“Personally, I think I’ve made my views clear on the development: I would have liked five storeys at 20 metres.” Instead, the panel allowed seven storeys to be squeezed in 20m.

The council has sent a letter to WA planning minister John Day demanding that planning powers be returned to locally elected councils.

by EMMIE DOWLING