Ocean Beach Hotel towers bid shows up local input flaws in planning approvals: Cottesloe mayor Lorraine Young

The mayor of Cottesloe has criticised plans for three towers along the beachfront, claiming they were “very significantly” over local height regulations. Mayor Lorraine Young said she was also concerned over the lack of local input in the approval process. The proposed development by landowner Stan Quinlivan and Edge Visionary Living includes two oversized apartment blocks that exceed planning regulations by up to 6m, with a third tower that sits within height limits of 32m. There is also a setback breach along one side of the proposed development. “The Town’s Planning Scheme sets out height, bulk and scale requirements for this site,” Ms Young said. “This is aimed to ensure that development is appropriate for the context, and preserves Cottesloe’s coastal village character. “Any proposed development that exceeds these requirements is disappointing. The Ocean Beach Hotel site is a very large landholding and presents the opportunity and scope for the developers to deliver an outcome that will enhance Cottesloe beach, with a design that fully complies with our planning scheme. “The fact that the current proposal would appear to be very significantly over the scheme’s requirements underscores the flaws with the State Development Assessment Unit process — decisions about beachfront amenity can now be made by the State Government without appropriate regard to local input.” Ms Young said council would consider the plans in detail and provide feedback on behalf of the community, but she urged residents to make their own submissions to authorities. She said the council resolved in September to seek to work with the State Government to ensure any other developments reflected Cottesloe’s coastal village atmosphere. The resolution was made after the SDAU approved a seven-storey tower at 120 Marine Parade. But in a surprising twist, the Gary Dempsey development has been canned after the owners — Julie and Justin Ng and Michael Nguyen — sold the land to another developer. Mr Dempsey said he was “very surprised” when told the site had been sold. “We had entered into a strategic alliance with the site’s owners to develop the site and were excited about the project that we thought we were going to deliver,” he said. “(We had) put in considerable time and effort to get it to the stage that we did, which was an not easy process. “We are certainly disappointed that this has been the outcome after the work that has gone into the project to date.” Mr Dempsey congratulated Mr Quinlivan on the “bold plan”. “I don’t know if he’ll get it through at that level but I wish him good luck with the project,” he said.