Perth Voice Interactive

A BAYSWATER councillor has called on the landowners of two key sites in the city to clean them up, saying they’ve been left to become graffiti-covered eyesores.

Elli Petersen-Pik has been raising questions about the old Williamson’s Motor House and Albany Bell Hatchery on Guildford Road for a couple of months, and says the tagging has been getting worse.

“The neglect is very noticeable and I’m not sure why,” Cr Petersen-Pik said.

“Guildford Road is a key corridor in the City of Bayswater, and in some ways it’s an entrance to the City – particularly from Mt Lawley – and this is the first thing that visitors see.”

Both sites have approved developments in the wings, but Cr Petersen-Pik said that shouldn’t let the owners off the hook in terms of maintaining them.

An eight-storey, 152-apartment development was approved for the Hatchery by the state-controlled JDAP in March 2021, against the council’s recommendation it would have “undue impact on the amenity of the area”.

Cr Petersen-Pik said he hadn’t heard how that was progressing, while City staff also heard nothing when they reached out to the developer.

“The City has now written to the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage to see if they can offer assistance 

 under the Heritage Act,” they told Cr Petersen-Pik in an email.

CraigCare is planning a $40 million, six-storey aged care facility at Williamson’s, with the facade to remain.

The council had more luck when it asked CraigCare to step up, as it engaged a tradie to clean off the flaking.

“However, this will take some time as the paint on the building is lead and requires specialist services, and parts of Guildford Road and Third Avenue will need to be closed to facilitate the works,” the email noted.

by STEVE GRANT