The view from Thomas Street for the new West Perth Woolies. Preliminary concept only, by Cottee Parker.

AND that makes four: Another new Woolworths is coming to the inner city, with a West Perth supermarket in the pipeline.

Another of the supermarket giant’s planned stores, on Charles Street, Highgate, was also given approval this month despite some concerns it could take away business from existing town centres.

The Development Assessment Panel unanimously approved the Charles Street centre housing a Woolworths supermarket, liquor store, restaurant, child care and medical centre. The site is currently three vacant lots and two empty buildings.

Brothel

Its southern neighbour is the high-end brothel Club 316 and two objectors raised concerns over having a child care centre so close to a gentleman’s club. Woolies’ planners responded “the child care is located on upper levels to the north of the development, which is largely separated from any surrounding developments”.

Fear of competition drew an objection from Hawaiian Group, which operates Mount Hawthorn’s Mezz shopping centre.

Hawaiian pointed out the new Charles Street Woolies is expected to lead to a drop in sales of between 7.5 and 11.6 per cent for the wider Mount Hawthorn district. 

acceptable” by industry standards, according to the DAP report prepared by Vincent council staffers, and the project was approved at the May 13 DAP meeting.

Perth state MP John Carey said this week he’s now working to build the case for the school crossing near Albert Street/Charles Street to become a full green light pedestrian crossing, and he’s encouraging people to fill out his “Perth Walking Survey” to show the need.  

Woolworths is on a tear, spending tens of millions buying up land for new stores throughout the inner city as the population grows. A new store in Highate (corner Bulwer Street and Stirling Street) is being built this year and an Inglewood Store at the old Beaufort Street Bunnings site is due to open early 2021.

Another incoming store for 707 Murray Street in West Perth also made it over the first planning hurdle this week, with Perth city commissioners endorsing the site for a supermarket use at their May 26 meeting.

The site’s a former staff carpark for the old Princess Margaret Hospital just across the road, sold by the WA government last year for $12,375,000.

The planning amendment will need to go out for public comment and then the planning minister has the final say. The state government’s likely to support it: Its press release at the time of the sale said a supermarket with apartments was anticipated, servicing local resident and encouraging infill.

Currently the nearest large supermarket is several busy stoplights away in either Subiaco or North Perth.  Woolies hopes to have a development application for the West Perth store lodged around the new year.

by DAVID BELL