Perth Voice Interactive

A PETROL station franchise whose plans for a big new servo and convenience store in North Perth got knocked back by the state JDAP, have lodged a scaled-back application to upgrade the existing mechanical workshop and bowsers – even while the original plans go through an appeal.

On The Run, which is in the process of being bought out by Shell oils, Coles Express and Geelong refinery owner Viva Energy, originally proposed a 24-hour station at the corner of Angove and Woodville Streets.

It was widely hated by the community, sparking the creation of the Stop the Station lobby group, and the 228 opposing submissions and a 326-signature petition contributed to both Vincent council and the JDAP rejecting the application.

OTR’s appeal over that refusal is still before the State Administrative Tribunal, but Stop the Station spokesperson Nicole Woolf said they were concerned the company’s latest application, though reduced in scale, showed it hadn’t read the room.

“Looking at the little bit of information that you can see online, it’s just 41-43 Angove Street, and it’s for $500,000 renovations to that site, including the pumps,” Ms Woolf said.

“From that we’ve assumed that it’s renovations to make the site operational again, for selling petrol and presumably a convenience store, just not as big.

“Everyone disagrees with this for different reasons, but fundamentally, it’s the land use – it’s the fact it’s a petrol station.

“Even though it might not be inclusive of the office they wanted to build at 45 Angove Street, or even if the final product has fewer bowsers than the original plans, it still comes back to the fact that next to residential homes, next to a primary school where there are 500 children in the middle of a vibrant town centre, is not the place for a petrol station.”

Campaign

Ms Woolf said the community which fought the original plans is “at the ready” for a new campaign: “As soon as those plans are published by the City of Vincent, we’ll be examining them very closely.

“We’ll be discussing them with the professional planner we fundraised to engage.

“We’ll be discussing with the lawyers that are part of our community group, and we’ll be mobilising a second round of a community campaign.

“I know the company’s got a lot more resources than the community does, but we’re not fatigued by it; we’re ready to go for round two.”

Stop the Station does have some hope through an amendment to Vincent’s town planning scheme which proposes banning petrol stations from town centres and residential areas, which has been adopted by the council and is with the WA Planning Commission awaiting a decision on whether it can be gazetted.

OTR’s original application slipped in before the council had voted on the amendment (which was put forward by Stop the Station), so the new rules wouldn’t have been applicable, but Ms Woolf hopes that the latest application might hit some hurdles – there are precedents where councils have taken guidance from policy and scheme amendments which have been lodged but awaiting approval.

Ms Woolf says her group is “very pro-development, but believes development in our unique area needs to be designed thoughtfully, serve the community and not compromise the safety, or the vibrancy of our town centres.

“We would love to see the space turned into a boutique retail store, a bar or restaurant, or public space that everyone in the community can enjoy.”

by STEVE GRANT