Ascot Capital’s Nedlands project approved

The City of Nedlands' planning framework has come under fire during a four-hour development assessment panel meeting over a proposed 18-storey apartment build on Stirling Highway.

The Metro Inner-North Joint Development Assessment Panel (JDAP) voted to approve a $22.8 million proposal to build the Nedlands apartment building, by a margin of three votes to two, at its meeting today.

The proposed development comprises of 75 apartments and seven commercial tenancies, including an art gallery, café/restaurant, an office and retail shop.

Town planners element, on behalf of landowner Hot Sand Capital, lodged the application earlier this year.

Australian Securities and Investments Commission documents show the directors of Hot Sand Capital as David van der Walt and Greg King, from Ascot Capital, and Stephen Lauder, from Facilimate.

Nedlands residents voiced their concerns at the meeting, which spanned more than four hours, particularly on the height and potential traffic congestion.

Despite the City of Nedlands council recommending the JDAP refuse the application, the non-councillor members of the panel were not persuaded.

JDAP acting presiding member Lee O’Donohue said the city’s planning framework, which did not impose a height limit on the site, was problematic.

“We’ve got a planning framework that has not delivered a strategic vision,” she said.

“The panel is in difficult position, we don’t really have a height limit on Stirling Highway … (but) this is not the first time this has come out.

“Other areas in Nedlands suffer from parking problems and traffic problems, as do so many inner city areas -  it’ll be very easy to blame the development and say this deverlopment would make this much worse.

“I do note the concerns of residents and I understand why this is a confronting development but it has been handled in a reasonably sensible way.

“I do note that this does not seem desirable in terms of transition… But we’re working with a planning framework that’s just got lots of unanswered questions and issues.”

Other features of the proposed development includes a 1,129 square metre communal open space to house a plaza or ampitheatre, a children’s play area, community garden, residential lounge and pool, and a gym.

JDAP member and City of Nedlands councillor Fergus Bennett, who voted against the proposal, said there was no justification to the height other than economic benefits to the developer.

“The applicant mentioned that the height and additional plot ratio was needed to justify the ground space and additional construction cost calculated on economic reasons,” he said.

“Economic reason is not a consideration for the panel as decision makers.”

Fellow JDAP member and city councillor Rebecca Coghlan’s push for a 120-day deferral was also lost.

Ascot Capital sold Jandakot Airport to Dexus for $1.3 billion in September, considered to be one of the largest property transactions in Western Australia.

Mr Lauder's private company Facilimate, an operator and investor in hotel businesses, invests through a joint venture with Ascot Capital.

According to development application, the apartment building benefits from access to bus routes and being nearby to the QEII and University of Western Australia specialised activity centre.