RELATED: Flora Hill development a 'mismatch', tribunal hears

RELATED: 'Beehive' opposed in Flora Hill 

A HOUSING development proposed for Flora Hill reflects a necessary shift to higher density living, a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has heard.

That was one of the submissions in favour of a proposed 15-dwelling development at 21-25 Curtin Street heard yesterday as part of the second day of a VCAT hearing at Bendigo Magistrates Court.

A total of 87 objections were received to an application earlier this year for a planning permit at the site.

City of Greater Bendigo councillors voted unanimously against the proposed development at a council meeting in June. 

The tribunal heard submissions yesterday from the permit applicant's legal representative, John Cicero.

Mr Cicero responded to a number of City of Greater Bendigo council and resident objections, including that the development was not in line with the neighbourhood character and impacted the street's "spaciousness". 

He said there was "no cohesion" in terms of neighbourhood character in the area.

"There is no one identifiable character," he said.

He said such neighbourhoods could expect to see more intense development in the future, with planning policy interested in increasing the level of density in places like Bendigo. 

"That's were policy says we should be developing," he said.

"This is a neighbourhood of change."

He said neighbourhoods such as the one in Flora Hill should expect to see more intense development in the future.

Mr Cicero took particular aim at council's assertion that household sizes in the proposed development were not suitable to students, saying students often preferred to share houses than live by themselves. 

He said other objections about features of the development, including small laundries and a lack of fences to separate properties, were indicative of a need to make better use of space and incorporate more socially inclusive design. 

"We need to adapt as a society," he said.

"As a community we need to understand space comes at a cost."

"I don't see this will create any sort of disharmony - in fact we're trying to get them (residents) to talk to each other with no fences. We don't want fences."

The tribunal also heard from consultant town planner Andrew Clarke, who provided expert testimony based on his analysis of the proposed development. 

He told the tribunal the site fit the description of an "infill" site suitable for the purposes of medium density living. 

In regards to neighbourhood character, which he described as "the critical issue in this hearing", Mr Clarke said future housing in the area would be unlikely to develop in keeping with "post-war housing".  

He said other objections to the two-storey height of the development were not valid.

"I don't know of any tribunal decision... that says buildings can't be built to two storeys in a single-storey area," he said.

In his closing submission, Mr Cicero said it was "key" VCAT question what needed protection in terms of neighbourhood character and said residents needed to get used to the idea the neighbourhood would change. 

"It will change. What is so harmful about a two-storey, attached development?" 

In reply, council's legal representative Egils Stokans said there was no dispute about the need for higher density housing but questioned if the proposal was "appropriate for this site".

"We're not going to reduce neighbourhood character down to a mere squeak," he said.

Tribunal member John Bennett asked council and the permit applicant to prepare revised draft conditions, saying VCAT had "concerns" about the draft submitted by council.

Both parties have 10 days for the new conditions to be circulated and another week to provide written submissions to VCAT.