A multi-million-dollar shopping precinct anchored by Woolworths has been approved, despite the local government’s opposition.
A multi-million-dollar shopping precinct anchored by Woolworths has been approved, despite the local government’s opposition.
Woolworths Group’s development arm Fabcot proposed to build a retail centre with a supermarket and 10 tenancies on 822 Youle-Dean Road in Brabham.
At its meeting on Wednesday, the Metro Outer Development Assessment Panel approved the development, which is estimated to cost $22 million.
The City of Swan recommended the development be refused, claiming there was a lack of safe pedestrian connections and inconsistencies with its Brabham district centre precinct structure plan.
City of Swan councillor Rod Henderson was the only panel member who voted against the application, citing traffic issues.
“The applicant needs to go away and fully assess those things,” he said at the meeting.
“We only have part of the story here and they need to go back to the drawing board.”
Despite the opposition, four out of five panel members voted to approve the proposed Woolworths at Brabham.
The panel’s presiding member Eugene Koltasz acknowledged the concerns about Youle-Dean Road running through the proposed centre.
“It’s not unusual that district centres have major roads going through them… [like] Joondalup centre, there’s traffic running through Whitford centre,” he said.
“These things happen, it’s regrettable perhaps.
“[But] it’s gone through iteration for a number of years for this area.”
The proposed Woolworths supermarket will cover 3,732 square metres with the total net lettable area for the shopping centre estimated at 4,968sqm.
Urbis compiled the development application on behalf of Fabcot.
“The proposal is considered to be a catalyst for community development, as a part of the continued growth of the Brabham, retail town centre,” the application read.
