A project conceived by City of Perth planners to make many of the city’s laneways more vibrant has been met with strong resistance from the city’s lord mayor, Peter Nattrass.
The City of Perth planning committee was due to meet this week to approve a proposal to further investigate ways to activate the city’s laneways, which could include incorporating cafes, small bars and small retail outlets.
City planners want to identify relationships and partnerships with businesses and laneway owners, as well as the possibility of linking in future city projects that could “benefit activation of lanes”.
The proposal will need council approval.
Dr Nattrass told WA Business News he did not support the proposal because the city is restricted in its ability to revitalise most of the laneways because it does not own them.
“I’m not interested in pursuing a report that covers all these lanes because when it comes down to it we can’t do anything because we don’t own them,” Dr Nattrass said.
The City of Perth owns Wolfe Lane, off King St, which it has spent several years developing, and part of the Pier Street laneway, which runs between Pier Street and Murray Street.
“This issue has been raised on a number of occasions in the past five to six years,” Dr Nattrass said. “Many of the property owners would rather use the lanes as access ways or to put their rubbish.
“Yes it is disappointing, but I’m sceptical about another report. Let’s be smart enough and look at what we can do.”
Dr Nattrass said he was keen to develop the lanes because they made a city more vibrant, but the planners needed to find lanes the council was able to develop.
