New 8-storey tower proposed at former Pentridge Prison

8 Mar 2016

With Heritage Victoria still assessing a controversial proposal by the Shayher Group for a 19-storey tower at Pentridge, Future Estate, the new owners of the southern portion of the site known as the Coburg Quarter (formerly Pentridge Village), are seeking a permit for an 8-storey residential development on Urquhart Street.

While it has been positive to see recent announcements about new initiatives at Pentridge’s Coburg Quarter that will activate the site, such as a new microbrewery and retail strip, a new masterplan being developed for the site is yet to be made available to the public.

Submissions on the current proposal are due with Heritage Victoria on Wednesday 9 March, and advertised documentation can be viewed here (and is also provided for download at the bottom of this page).

Future Estate will also require a separate planning permit from the City of Moreland, which a council planner says will be advertised in the next few weeks. While Heritage Victoria can only consider heritage issues and financial hardship as part of their application process, Council can consider planning issues such as density, amenity, traffic, parking and sunlight. Council permit decisions can also be appealed at VCAT, while Heritage Victoria decisions cannot be appealed by third parties.

Anyone who is concerned about the impact of the proposed 8-storey tower on the heritage of Pentridge Prison should make a submission to Heritage Victoria by Wednesday 9 March.

The National Trust’s submission can be downloaded here.

Tips for your submission:

Read the Heritage Impact Statement provided with the application. This provides an overview of the proposal, and addresses some potential impacts to the site’s significance.
Only address heritage issues. Heritage Victoria must consider the extent to which the proposal affects the cultural heritage significance of the registered place. They must consider the extent to which the application, if refused, would affect the reasonable or economic use of the registered place, or cause undue financial hardship to the owner in relation to that place. Matters such as traffic, sunlight, density, car parking, or other planning issues are not able to be considered. These issues will be considered as part of the Council permit process. Heritage considerations include impacts on significant fabric and buildings, impacts on significant views, and
Try to get it in on time. While many residents have only found out about this permit application in the last few days, Heritage Victoria has fulfilled their statutory obligations by advertising it on their website and erecting signs at the site. Under the Heritage Act, Heritage Victoria has obligations to both the public and owners of heritage places. While late submissions may be considered, it is preferable for submissions to be received by the advertised cut-off date. In calling for the developers to follow due process, we should try to do the same, to enable Heritage Victoria to do their job as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Format your submission as a letter including your name and address. Submissions may be emailed to Tim Smith, Executive Director, Heritage Victoria at heritage.permits@delwp.vic.gov.au, or posted to Heritage Victoria, PO Box 500, Melbourne, VIC 8002.

For any queries, feel free to contact Senior Community Advocate Felicity Watson on (03) 9656 9818 or at felicity.watson@nattrust.com.au.

Residents who are concerned about development at Pentridge can attend a public meeting this Thursday 10 March at 7pm at the Uniting Church Hall, 21 Victoria Street, Coburg (opposite Coburg Library).